A Mother's Son
by Beitris
Summary: Sakura has lived for three years with Sasuke's baby, in Naruto's home. Now that Sasuke is back, demanding answers, what is she to do? Can she love the man that left her? Naruto has to watch his family fall apart, is he willing to let that happen? On Hold.
1. Unexpected

"If you loved me at all, you wouldn't be walking away right now!" her cry echoed through the trees, but Sasuke did not pause to hear more. He kept walking, his back straight and stiff from the effort of keeping himself composed.

"You know," he said, over his shoulder, as casually as possible "I've got things to do." He stopped, listening to Sakura breathe raggedly. "I'd stay if I could." He whispered, finally conceding a fraction. He knew she could hear him. She started forward at the sound of his voice breaking, but stopped, not wanting him to walk away.

"We wouldn't think less of you!" she blurted out. Her voice was tortured as she whispered, "If you never fought him, I wouldn't love you any less…"

Sasuke ducked his head, staring at the ground. He had a million things to say, a thousand things he wanted to do. Mostly, he wanted to take her in his arms and promise that he'd never leave her side, that they'd be together forever. He tried not to look at her, for doing so would be his downfall.

"I'll come back for you."

Without looking back, he set off running, leaving Sakura sobbing in the middle of the forest clearing. She clutched at herself, tears raking down her face. She felt as though that was a black hole inside her and every happiness she had ever felt was falling away. She looked up, red eyed, when a familiar figure stepped out from the cover of the trees. Naruto rushed to her side, letting her fall into his arms.

"Shh, shh…" he comforted, as she cried into his shoulder, trying to articulate what had happened. After a few minutes, she was able to speak.

"Did you tell him?" Naruto asked gently, stroking her hair gently. She leaned into his touch, gasping back a sob.

"He doesn't know." She whispered. "He left and I never told him. What kind of a person am I?"

Naruto frowned. "This isn't your fault, Sakura." He told her sternly. She said nothing, only untangled herself from him. She turned toward the village and walked slowly, arms clenched around her. Naruto watched the woman he loved leave silently. He turned his face toward the moon, and closed his eyes.

_Let him come back soon_, he thought, _if only for the baby's sake._

* * *

"Come on now, Daisuke, come with mommy." Her voice betraying her weariness, Sakura urged the child inside, where Naruto stood, garbed in an apron. His face brightened on the sight of the pair and he glared at Sakura when she couldn't keep from laughing at his outfit.

"There's my boy," he said happily to the toddler, offering him a cookie from his mittened hand. Sakura laughed. She let the small boy take the cookie, but swatted at Naruto playfully.

"You're going to make him _fat_!" she chastised. Naruto ignored her, grinning when the boy took the treat.

"Dai, come on, don't listen to your mother, she's nuts anyhow." He said conspiratorially, earning him a cuff across the head. Sakura sat at their kitchen table, pushing her long hair behind her ears. At eighteen, she was just as beautiful as Naruto had ever thought. Her green eyes were tired, and held less innocence, but they still sparkled with intelligence.

She had grown, in the time since Team 7 had broken up. Sakura had been a mess. Sasuke's leaving had left her broken for a time, and being pregnant without a known father had made people whisper about Sakura, making her slightly outcast. After the child was born, it had been even harder for her. Naruto, sensing disaster, had stopped his training to help her get by, and now they lived a more domestic life in town, only going on missions when desperately needed.

They lived simply, in a small one level house with two bedrooms. Daisuke, Sakura's three year old son, had his own room while Naruto and Sakura shared the other. It was sparsely decorated. The kitchen was a sunshine yellow, though orange flecks were visible where the paint was chipping. In the main room's corner, Daisuke had a pile of toys.

At three years old, Daisuke was lively, and a splitting image of his father. Jet black hair stuck out at all angles from his head, while he showed an uncanny grace for a boy his age. He had beautiful face, Sakura's face, Naruto noted, and he would be the object of many girls' affections.

Sakura sighed. "I need to run to the market," she said, standing. She was dead tired, but needed a few more things before she could settle in for the night. "I'll just fetch some eggs. Try not to get into trouble." She leant over and pecked Naruto's cheek, then slung her bag over her shoulder and left. Daisuke went after her, but Naruto stopped him. He picked the boy up, an easy smile spread across his face.

"Chill out, she'll come back." He assured the boy, earning a charming smile in return. Naruto set him down and Dai ran into his room while Naruto shoved the next batch of cookies into the oven. He listened to the small crashes of Dai's play, and the ensuing silence that meant Dai had broken something, and was waiting to see if anyone was coming to see what he had done. He hummed under his breath, rustling through the fridge for something to cook. It was his turn to make supper, and he wanted to make this one special for Sakura. After all, he had a big night planned.

* * *

She walked slowly, taking her time. She knew Naruto was plotting something, the boy was transparent. She wanted to give him time to do whatever it was he wanted to, she had a sneaky suspicion she knew what was coming, if the velvet box in Naruto's sock drawer meant anything. Also some time away from Dai was nice. He was so unlike his father, prone to bursts of giddiness and energy. He loved his daycare, where they painted and glued stuff to things all day. He never seemed to be unhappy. Maybe that was just the three year old coming through.

Greeting the market vendors, Sakura selected the food she wanted. She tossed the carrots and the eggs into the basket she had brought. She handed the old man her money and he thanked her. Taking her change, she smiled back and turned away. She bumped into something solid. She checked her groceries and apologized, not looking at her bumpee's face.

"Sorry, uhhh…" Sakura looked up, her jaw dropping in surprise. She had never thought that she would look into those slate grey eyes again. Not for a long time had she even considered it. She stared up into the dark pools of Sasuke's eyes.

"Sasuke…" she whispered, before looking down again, and going around him. She was mortified. She had probably just freaked out another townsperson. _I have to stop imagining him everywhere!_ She told herself, trying to get home quickly. She wove through the streets, vaguely hearing her name being called, and figuring it was only in her mind. Finally, she was home. She charged through the front door and slammed it behind her. She leant against the solid wood, relief flooding over her. She could feel the tears prick at her eyelids, and fought against them. Naruto looked up from the floor, where he sat with Dai, playing with blocks.

Looking at Sakura's red face and teary eyes, he frowned, moving to stand next to her. "What happened?" he asked her, brushing her bright hair away from her face. She looked back into his crystal blue eyes and knew that what she would say would crush him. He had been hoping that they were over Sasuke…

Sakura looked down. "I saw him again," she whispered, and Naruto's face fell. "It's been over a year since this happened…I used to see him everywhere, lately, not at all. Things have been so good here; I've been starting to forget." She smiled shakily, letting Naruto pull her into his strong arms. She took in his smell, his fire and iron smell, and brushed her fingers through his thick hair. Pulling away, she smiled thinly. "It's nothing." She assured him. "Where's Dai?" Naruto looked over to where Dai was sitting, playing contentedly.

Sakura stooped down and sat with Daisuke, helping him build his castle. "Mommy, look what I did!" he said proudly, showing her the smiley face he had constructed. As he checked the on the dinner he was making, Naruto watched as Sakura slowly relaxed, the tension easing from her body. Maybe he was wrong, maybe she really was ready, and loved him now. Maybe she was really over Sasuke.

He leant against the door, just before a sharp knock broke the comfortable quiet of the apartment. Sakura stiffened immediately, turning her body to look at the door. She didn't stand, only held Dai's hands, putting their patty cake game on hold. Naruto frowned, then turned to open the door. Standing back and whistling to himself, he took in the person standing on the threshold.

"Who is it?" Sakura asked, before standing, and boosting Dai onto her hip. She moved to stand with Naruto, looking around the door curiously. She gasped sharply, tightening her grip on Daisuke slightly.

Sasuke looked past Naruto to the boy at Sakura's side. His eyes flicked up her body, causing heat to flush her face. She scowled at him and then looked away. She pulled Daisuke higher up, so his face was nearly level with hers. "Uchiha. I apologize for earlier." Sakura said carefully, not meeting Sasuke's eyes. Without invitation, the larger man stepped inside, brushing past Naruto.

"I followed you here." He told her breathlessly. He ignored the smaller man who was glaring at him heatedly, most likely trying to set him on fire with his brain. Sasuke moved to stand close to Sakura. She took a small step back. "I wanted to see you."

"I'm here." Sakura answered simply. She still did not look at him. She smiled when Naruto came to stand by her side, and gave Dai to him. Sasuke watched this, looking at the Daisuke, at Naruto and then back at Sakura. The unspoken question was blaring across his face, and Sakura waited for him to voice it.

"Is he yours?" he asked her. She smiled thinly, her patience nearly non-existent.

"What do you _really_ wanna know?" she shot back, hands on her hips. Now, over the shock of his appearance, anger was flooding her veins. All she wanted to do was strangle this annoying, overly confidant man who stood so cockily in her kitchen

Sasuke ducked his head, caught. "Is he his?" he asked again, gesturing to Naruto. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed and Naruto bristled at the challenge in the other man's voice.

"Like you care," he put in. "You've been gone for so long, you don't even recognize your own son!"

"**Naruto!"**

Sakura's cry of shock startled Daisuke, and the boy, tired without his nap, started to cry. He clung to Naruto. "Daddy!" he sobbed. Naruto looked at Sakura. He didn't want to leave Sakura alone, but his concern for Daisuke was much greater than his desire to settle any score with Sasuke. And Sakura was perfectly capable of handling herself.

"I'll be right back." He said, leaving the room quickly. Sasuke and Sakura stood in silence, listening to the muffled sounds of Naruto and Daisuke in the next room. The quiet was awkward, yet Sakura wasn't eager to alleviate it. Her fists were clenched, her knuckles going white with the strain. Sasuke was staring at her, taking in the sight of her body, her eyes, her face.

In the end, it was Sasuke who spoke first, softly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered, looking down at the kitchen tiles.

Sakura sighed, turning away from him. She had envisioned this conversation a thousand times, but now that it was happening, she just wanted it to stop. "You didn't wanna know." She finally answered. "You wanted to go play the hero, avenge your family…all that. You didn't wanna know that you had something, some_one_, to be responsible to."

"I would've stayed, if you'd told me." Sasuke said firmly, stepping in behind her. She could feel the heat from his body on her back, and had to force herself to keep her breathing even. He ran his fingers along her arm, raising goosebumbs on the flesh.

"Would you?" the doubt was clear in her voice, years of bitterness ingrained. Her slight desire was only making her angrier. How dare he make her want him! "Would you _really_? I mean, would you have wanted to?" She spun quickly, squaring off with the larger man. She looked up, into onyx eyes. He could see that she was close to tears. "I have a life now!" she whispered furiously. "I have everything that I built, after you left me behind."

"I told you I would come back!" Sasuke protested, but was cut off before he could say more.

"And what? I was supposed to just wait for you? I was supposed to pine, and live alone, until the day that _you_ decided that being a big shot wasn't fun anymore?" Sakura asked, rage making her voice quiver. "I was ready to. That's the sad part. I was ready to wait. All I saw was you. Everywhere. But then…things got better here."

"Because of him." Sasuke said quietly. Sakura's anger faded and she stepped back, hugging herself. She wished it was Naruto's arms closing around her, instead of her own.

"He loves me. Naruto really loves me." Sakura agreed. "He would never hurt me, or Dai, and he doesn't mind that _my_ baby isn't _his _baby. He would never…_he_ would never leave me."

"Do you love him?" Sasuke asked, his voice breaking. He had known this would be painful, but he could have never foreseen the events as they played out now.

"I love how he makes me feel. Worthwhile." Sakura answered, rubbing her arms and shivering. Noticing her discomfort, Sasuke stepped near her again and took her into his arms. He was surprised by her lack of protest. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, taking in his familiar smell. It seemed so easy, to melt back into what they had before.

His mouth was inches from her ear, and his breath was warm on her skin as he whispered, "That's not what I asked."

Pause.

Tiny hands splayed out on his chest, and Sakura gently pushed him away. She stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, before she looked down.

"It's all you'll get from me."

She pulled away and didn't look back as she walked away, into her room, shutting the door gently. As soon as she had gone, Naruto appeared, from where he had been listening. He stood in the doorway of Daisuke's room, arms folded over his chest, trying to intimidate his former rival. Sasuke was unimpressed.

"I want to see my son." Sasuke finally said, and started forward, but was surprised by Naruto's speed. Sasuke was pushed roughly against the wall, a firm hand clenching his throat. Naruto's eyes were flashing with anger, chakra burning in their depths.

"You're gonna stay away from my family." Naruto growled fiercely. "Don't come back here."

"_Let. Me. See. Him._" Sasuke ground out, before knocking Naruto off. Naruto stood back, still guarding Daisuke's door. His stance was defensive, but Sasuke knew that he could, and would, attack at any moment.

"He's not your son. Not anymore. You've had three years of chances." Naruto shot back. His anger was bubbling up through his skin, making him hot. He could feel his control over the presence inside him fraying at the edges and clenched his jaw.

"This isn't my fault! I never knew he existed!" Sasuke protested, only to be met by Naruto's fist. Again and again Naruto beat his anger into the larger man, who never had a chance against Kyuubi's rage.

His nose bled, long broken, and he looked through teary eyes at the raging sight of the smaller man. Naruto dragged him to the door, throwing him out. Sasuke landed in the dirt of the front lawn. Naruto stood over him. "She loved you." He said quietly. "At fifteen, she didn't want anything else from life. But then you broke her, and the only one here to put back the pieces was me! You _do not_ get to come back, demanding things, now that we've moved on. You've got _no right_."

Without another word, Naruto walked inside, slamming the door behind him. Sasuke sat on the lawn, blood pouring from his nose, his mind racing. How could he fix this? Naruto and Sakura, it was wrong. Sakura had loved him. She would always love him. All Sasuke needed to do was show her that he could the man she wanted.

He couldn't, wouldn't, let her slip away again. That had been the worst mistake of his life.

* * *


	2. Dealing

"_You are the light, that is leading me_," her voice was soft, not meant for Naruto's ears, but he listened as Sakura put her son to sleep. She sat next to the small boy's bed, the one that Naruto had made, and sang him all the songs she could think of. "_You are the hope that keeps me trusting…you're everything_." She kissed the top of Daisuke's sleepy head, smiling down at his closed eyes.

She stood, moving to sit in the chair in the corner. Naruto moved into the doorway. "Are you coming to bed?" he asked softly. Sakura looked up, her face streaked with tears and shadows. She smiled weakly.

"I'm just gonna watch him, for a little bit." She said. Naruto nodded. Instead of leaving her to it, he came to stand next to her. His hand rested on her shoulder, moving in slow circles on her skin.

"Sasuke's gone. I saw him out." Naruto said, smiling to himself. He had particularly enjoyed the throwing out of Sasuke.

"I heard." Sakura said impishly. She stood, hugging Naruto around the middle, burying her nose in his shoulder. "Everything was fine till he came back to mess it all up." The rest of what she said was muffled. Naruto stroked her hair silently. He loved the feel of her body pressed against him. He could feel every part of her, could feel every point of contact, white hot and sweet.

"Come to bed." He urged softly and Sakura nodded. She followed him through their tiny apartment, to the small room adorned with their things. Pictures of them together, and with friends and baby pictures as well, scattered the room. To one side there was a chest of drawers, and next to it, a small closet. A wide bed took up most of the room, and Sakura looked at it longingly while she undressed.

Slipping into one of Naruto's tee-shirts, she crawled over the covers to wiggle in beside him. He wrapped his arms around her, while she rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, grateful for the silence. Her hand trailed across his chest absently, tracing designs on his bare skin.

Minutes passed by, and Sakura thought Naruto had fallen asleep until he said; "Do you love me?"

Sakura's popped her head up to look Naruto in the eye, hurt across her face. "How can you ask me that?" she whispered. "How can you…question everything we have?"

Naruto didn't back down. His arms tightened around her and his brows furrowed in frustration. "If I'm gonna do this, fight for you, I want it to be cause you'll want me in the end. Sakura…if you want me to go, if you wanna be with him, I'll leave. I'll do all that you ask." He looked so sincere that Sakura's anger faded and she ran her fingers along his jaw line. _I don't deserve him_, she thought. _He's a thousand times too good for me_. This as not the first time this thought had occurred to her.

Not saying a word, she moved to kiss him softly, and his hands rose to tangle in her hair. The kiss was slow and sweet, languid and adoring. As they came up for air, Sakura breathed heavily into Naruto's neck. "I never wanna be anywhere else." She whispered, and Naruto made a small noise of agreement, before moving his hand to slip under her shirt.

His hands were everywhere at once, and Sakura lay back, feeling his weight settle over her. He seemed incapable of doing anything besides touching her, and Sakura moaned softly as he caressed her.

It was intense, and hot, and extensive. Sakura remembered begging Naruto to bring her off, and he only smiling and doing as he pleased. The afterglow was sweet, they lay curled around each other, Naruto only leaving once to answer Daisuke's in the middle of the night.

* * *

The morning came, and as the sun peeked up over the window sill, Sakura woke up alone, her home strangely quiet. She stetched like a cat, incrediably comfortable lying in bed, in the dent that Naruto's body had left in the mattress. Craving breakfast, she got up and upon inspection, she found a slip of paper taped to the counter.

_Gone out for the morning. I'll see you after lunch._

At the bottom of the note, an ornate smiley face was drawn. Sakura smiled. For all that Naruto played himself as the tough, responsible guy, there was still much of the hyperactive kid in him. That's why he worked so well with Daisuke.

She put the note down and busied herself with making breakfast. She still wore Naruto's oversized tee-shirt, and the fabric skimmed over her thighs softly. She pulled out a box of cereal, pouring herself a bowl at the kitchen table. Munching happily, she flicked through some of the papers littering her kitchen table. Bills, bills, letter, bills. Finding something that wasn't asking for money, so opened it, and read swiftly.

_Thought you might find this helpful. Are you going for it?_

This was scrawled on a piece of paper that had an article stapled to it. Sakura unfolded it, glancing at the headline.

_**HOKAGE OPENS PRE-SCHOOLER'S DEFENCE TRAINING FACILITY**_

_**Just this week, our Hokage announced the opening of a preschool training facility, to be built in the heart of the village. One part daycare, one part shinobi training…**_

The article went on like this, and upon finishing it, Sakura looked for an indication of who had sent it. It was dated yesterday, picked up in today's mail. She frowned. Why would someone be interested in Daisuke's shinobi training?

Then, realization struck her. Who was the one person she knew who always had obsessed about his training, about becoming stronger, about being better? Sasuke. She crumpled the article in her fist, throwing it down on the table. She put away her cereal box quickly, then moved for her bedroom to get changed. Before she could pull some pants on, a knock came at the door. Sakura, assuming Naruto was home, ran and opened the door widely.

Sasuke stood, flowers in hand, looking her up and down. He took in her outfit, whistling appreciatively. "This really wasn't what I had expected." He commented, stepping inside, again without invitation. Sakura shut the door behind him, angry with herself for not predicting this.

"Where is he?" Sasuke inquired, laying down the flowers. He looked at Sakura quizzically. She decided to play stupid. She figured that if she pissed Sasuke off enough, he'd leave, and not come back.

"Where is who?" she said, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes in annoyance. His hands were fidgeting, he pulled at his sleeves nervously.

"My son. I want to see him." He replied, moving to explore the rest of the apartment. He ducked his head into the bathroom and them moved elsewhere.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelped, following him. "Get out of there!" she followed him as he entered her bedroom. Spying her pants, she grabbed them and pulled them on, while saying, "You can't be in here. Besides, Dai is out with Naruto." She watched as Sasuke scowled at the news, before looking destracted again. He left her behind as he exited her bedroom.

"What did you say his name was again?" Sasuke asked absently. He pushed the door open to Daisuke's room and went in, stopping in the middle. He took in the sight of the clothes hamper, overflowing with shirts with the Uzumaki sign on them, as well as a large paper fan that decorated the wall.

"It's Daisuke. This is his room." Sakura said, wondering why she wasn't throwing Sasuke out. She had every right to. He was barging around her house like he owned the place! "Naruto and I decorated it."

"Great. When will they be home?"

"Sasuke, please go. I don't want to talk about this." Sakura said wearily. She was suddenly tired all over again. Sasuke clenched his fists together. He looked ready to explode.

"We _need_ to talk about this!" he said forcefully. He strode across the bedroom, invading Sakura's space. She glared up at his dark eyes, her green one's shining.

"Talk about what, then?" Sakura barked angrily. She had gone from tired to angry again in seconds flat. "Talk about how you abandoned me, for some stupid thing with your brother, talk about how you left your son without a father? What is it you wanna talk about?"

"Stop saying that I abandoned him!" Sasuke cried, frustrated. "That night, you never told me about him!"

"I didn't want you to be here, and wish that you were gone!" Sakura yelled, hugging herself. "I wanted a family for my baby, and you would never give me that, not when you thought that you'd missed out!"

"Oh, what? Naruto can give you that family? A spaz with no colour sense?" Sasuke said acidly, causing Sakura to yell in frustration.

"Don't you dare make this Naruto's fault! He was the only thing that kept me from drowning when all I wanted to do was die, and take my baby's life with me!" she cried. "He's the only one who's ever been there for me, and he's a father to Daisuke. You don't know anything about us!"

"Fine." Sasuke said quietly, after a long minute of silence. "Then I'll learn." Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "I'm going to know my son, my son will know me, and we will be a family. I will not lose you to Naruto." With that, he brushed past Sakura, and moved into the kitchen, and out the door, slamming it behind him.

Sakura leant against the wall, sliding down slowly. She brought her knees to her chest, and buried her face in her hands. She tried breathing deeply, to calm herself. "Of course." She whispered to herself. "He only wants us because he doesn't have us. He only wants to beat Naruto. God…he _hasn't_ changed."


	3. Arguments

"I come bearing gifts!"

Sakura looked up from her seat at the kitchen table to see Naruto swing in, Daisuke in tow, with a sparkled bag in his other hand. He put Daisuke down, and the boy ran to his mother. His face was shining with glee. "Mommy! Look what we got you!" he said excitedly, pulling at all the clothes he could reach. Sakura smiled down at him.

"What is it?" she asked. Naruto plopped the purple bag on the table in front of her, then sat opposite to her. Sakura pulled the bag towards her, throwing the tissue paper away. Dai caught it clumsily, twirling and laughing. When Sakura pulled her present out, he stopped to watch.

Sakura lifted a small wooden box carefully from the bag. It was hand carved, and when she opened it, lined with velvet, and inside lay a brand new set of daggers and throwing stars. Sakura thought of her old, unsharpened set and smiled. She had been meaning to update her equipment, but had never gotten around to it. She picked up one of the blades, examining its balance. She was impressed. They were very well made.

"Thanks," Sakura said, scooping her son up in a hug, and sending Naruto a look full of gratitude. "You two losers always know how to cheer me up." She said happily. Sakura put Daisuke down and picked the box up again. She went into her room, and sighed to herself, before opening the small closet. There, hanging towards the back, were all her things from her days in Team 7. Her headband, wrapped in newspaper, was tucked in the bottom of the rucksack that sat beneath her clothes. She reached for the bag before a voice interrupted her.

"I hope you're not just gonna put them away, and never think of them again."

Sakura whirled around to see Naruto standing behind her. She shrugged. "You know I like them. But I can't use them. I'm not a part of that world anymore."

Naruto sighed heavily. "Why not?" he asked her. "You were one of the best."

"We were all the best. You were the best, Sasuke was the best, I was the best. We were so good that _best_ stopped meaning anything important. And you know why." Sakura shot back, turning away from him to zip up the bag in her hands. She heard him sigh again, and fought the rising irritation inside her. _If he's got something to say, why doesn't he fucking say it? _She thought angrily, violently puling on the zipper.

"I know why you stopped while you were pregnant. I dunno why, three years later, you're still avoiding what you love doing." Naruto said and Sakura rolled her eyes to herself, still not facing him. _Of course, insight from Naruto, just what I need._

"Who says I love it?" Sakura replied, turning towards Naruto and leaning against the wall.

"I do," Sakura harrumphed in disbelief. "I've seen the look on your face after a fight. Protecting the village is the thing you've aspired for since you were a kid. You worked hard to become the ninja you are. You shouldn't give that up."

"We've both made sacrifices." Sakura reminded him. "For Dai. I…stopped my training, I became a mother. You…_god_, Naruto…your dream was to be Hokage! How can you tell me that I've given up what I love? You're the one who should be doing this!"

Naruto nodded. "I knew what I was doing when I dropped out. I've got a different job now. I keep this family on its feet. I'm not saying I don't miss it, but I'm ready to wait for my dreams." He said finally.

"Oh, so what?" Sakura said, feeling anger bubble within her. "You bring in the cash, so you can tell me what to do?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You know that's not it," he replied. "I just want what's best for you!" Naruto couldn't understand why she was fighting him so hard. He knew that he was right; she knew that he was right, so why wouldn't she just admit it?

"_You're not my father_!"

Naruto was spared from answering, as Daisuke walked into the room. "Mommy!" he cried. "Peoples at the door!" he said excitedly. Glaring at Naruto one last time, Sakura took her son's hands and followed him into the kitchen. As she left the room, Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose, moving to collapse on his bed. He lay quietly, looking up at the ceiling, listening to the muffled, indistinct voices in the next room. He followed the patterned whorls of the plaster above him, trying not to brood.

He was unsuccessful.

_Ugh…what is her problem? It's not like I'm trying to kick her out, or shave her head, or something else horrible. I'm only asking that she do something she enjoys. She was one of the best in the class; I know the village would love to have her back, doing missions. And it's not like she couldn't see Daisuke, or stay here. The Hokage would give her more local assignments, knowing her situation. I just don't __**get **__why she's so reluctant. Or so defensive. That doesn't make any sense either._

* * *

A small crash in the kitchen broke Naruto from his thoughts. With speed telling of former glory, Naruto leapt from the bed, and was around the corner in an instant. When he entered the kitchen, he immediately fell to his knees, moving towards Sakura's limp body. The table was upturned, and broken dishes littered the ground. Naruto almost retched from the sight of all the blood. Sakura was drenched in it, but Naruto couldn't see her wound. Fearing the worst, he moved over to her and checked her pulse. 

It was rapid, and weak, but there. Suddenly, Naruto remembered Daisuke. He whipped his head around, searching for the boy. "Dai!" he bellowed, the idea of a kidnapping crushing his heart. "Dai, please…where are you?" he begged, knowing the boy was gone. He looked back down at Sakura, who was cradled in his arms. He could see where the blood was coming from now. He pulled back the hem of her shirt, exposing a large gash. He could also see superficial cuts from the dishware line her arms. Naruto lifted his lover effortlessly and moved out of the kitchen, into the front yard. He stood, covered in her blood, yelling for help.

Neighbors popped out of doors, wondering at the commotion. "Please...somebody! Call a doctor!" he begged, and saw that several people all ran off in the same direction. "Somebody, bring Kakashi here!" another three men ran off and Naruto set Sakura on the grass lightly. His next door neighbor came and sat beside them.

"Here," the man said, offering a wad of dishcloth. Naruto accepted it, using it to stem the flow of blood from Sakura's stomach. His mind was enveloped with panic, he couldn't think straight. People were crowding around him, and he looked at their shocked faces, blood smeared along his body.

"My son, has anyone seen my son?" he asked, and was dismayed by the shakes of their heads. "He's only three…and he's all alone!" Naruto could feel himself break down, and felt his vision tunnel. "He's all alone…" he whispered, before feeling himself let go of the dishrag, of Sakura. He fell backwards, knowing oblivion before he hit the ground. He lay next to Sakura, who was now being tended to by the kindly neighbor. Naruto's breathing slowed, and in his mind, all he could see was the scene inside his kitchen: Sakura laying there, broken, drenched in blood. It was an image he could not shake.

Kakashi rounded the corner, running at a full sprint, the Hokage not far behind him. Kakashi rounded the gate, coming to a dead stop when he saw his former team members lying in the grass, covered in blood. He would swear later that his heart had stopped beating. It was too horrible. He couldn't lose another team. He moved towards them quickly, looking to the man with Sakura.

"It's the girl who's hurt," the man offered. "The boy brought her out, babbling about his son, then passed out, I can't seem to get this bleeding to stop, I hope you've brought a doctor."

Kakashi looked at him blankly, then realization sunk in. "Yes, yes we did. The Hokage is here, he's as good as any doctor." Looking around, Kakashi searched for Daisuke. There was not telltale shock of black hair anywhere in the crowd. "Was there a boy here? Daisuke?" he asked, but the man shook his head, handing off the job of tending Sakura to the Hokage, who had just arrived.

The Hokage knelt in the grass, ripping away the fabric of Sakura's shirt. Blood splattered his shock of white hair, but he ignored it. "What happened here?" he asked angrily. The people crowded around shook their heads in ignorance. One man stepped forward. He looked timid, unsure of himself.

"I heard the scream." He offered. Kakashi was on him in a second.

"What else? Did you see anything? Hear anything else?"

"N-no, just a crash, a scream, and a kid crying. I figured they were just having another fight."

Kakashi frowned. "Do they argue often?" he asked slowly.

"Sure, as much as the next. More and more lately." A woman nearby said, holding her daughter close. "It's been getting worse. Sakura always comes over to my place after a fight. She always brings Dai, such a sweet boy." Kakashi looked at her. She was almost thirty, by the looks of it, and plump. A down to earth woman.

"The boy, Daisuke, have you seen him? He asked her directly. He was distracted from her answer by a moan behind him. Kakashi looked to see Naruto start to stir. The boy rolled to look at Sakura before bolting up when he saw Kakashi.

"Daisuke?" Naruto asked, his voice low. Kakashi shook his head. He felt responsible for the horribly anguished looked that flicked across Naruto's face. The blonde rubbed a bloody hand wearily against his cheek, smearing the red liquid.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shot out suddenly, remembering. "Sasuke did this! Has anybody seen him?"

Kakashi frowned again. "Naruto, I think you might've hit your head on the way down. Sasuke hasn't been around for almost three years."

Naruto shook his head. "No, he's been here. Last few days, he been here, wanting to see Dai, wanting to see Sakura."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in doubt. "Uh…why?" he asked slowly.

"Cause of Daisuke!" Naruto said impatiently, kneeling next to Sakura again. "How is she?" he asked the Hokage. Kakashi furrowed his brows and scratched his head. What did Sasuke have to do with Naruto and Sakura's son? Unless…he wasn't Sakura's and Naruto's son. Unless…Dai was really Sasuke's son. It made the kind of sense that Kakashi hated most.

"I have stopped all the bleeding." The Hokage answered Naruto. He looked at the boy sadly. He did not like to be the bearer of bad news to someone he liked so well. "But she has a head injury, likely from a fall. She will not wake up, not for many days."

"What are you saying?" Naruto demanded. "She's in some kind of a coma?"

"I am saying, that if she does not wake within twenty four hours, it becomes less likely that she ever will."

Naruto clenched his fists. "That's not good enough! She's healthy! This shouldn't be happening…not to her." He paused, trying to fight back the lump in his throat. "She's so much better than this."

Kakashi crouched next to Naruto, smoothing away some of Sakura's hair. Her face shone with sweat, her clothes were damp with blood. Kakashi nudged Naruto away and picked up his former student, walking into the house with her. Naruto and the Hokage followed. Naruto led Kakashi into his bedroom, and Kakashi set Sakura on the bed gently, trying to avoid the thick bandages.

"Where were you, when this happened?" the Hokage's voice from the kitchen asked. Naruto and Kakashi moved into the other room, which still looked like a war zone.

"I was in our room, spaced out. Everything was quiet, and then there was a crash, and then I came, and it was like this." Naruto answered, righting table and avoiding the blood pool in the middle of the floor. "Oh god…I can't think…I can't feel. I need to find him. My son is out there, and he must be so scared." Naruto felt as if he was going to cry, and sat heavily on the chair next to him.

"I have to find him, so that when she wakes up, she's not alone." Naruto said quietly, looking up at Kakashi. The Hokage had left quietly, on his way to start a village wide alert.

"I can stay here, while you go." Kakashi offered. Naruto nodded. He moved across the room, and Kakashi watched him. "Why didn't you tel me?" he asked finally. Naruto stopped in the middle of the room, his hands fumbling on the sirt he was holding. His jaw clenched.

"Couldn't" he said fiannly. "Sakura didn't want anyone to know."

"Why?"

"She wanted Daisuke to have a proper family, without the stares a bastard child would get. God knows I understand that." Naruto replied, moving again. Kakahi growled suddenly.

"You could have trusted me!"

"I do." Naruto said. "But Sakura didn't want anyone to know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Kakashi finally said.

"Thanks." He said shortly. He stood again, moving into his room. He pushed past Sakura's clothes, reaching into the farthest region of the closet. He pulled out a wrinkled duffel bag, dumping its contents on the floor. He sifted through the pile, finding his headband and weapons easily.

Looking through the chest of drawers, he found black track pants, and a black tee shirt, the one Sakura had worn the night before. He pulled both articles of clothing on, inhaling her scent.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Kakashi asked when Naruto emerged from his room again. "Maybe you should wait until tomorrow."

"No. No waiting. The longer I wait, the less likely that I'll find him." Naruto said. Kakashi nodded, mostly to himself, he had expected that.

"I'll be here, when you get back." Kakashi said. "And don't you forget to come back."

"I'm not coming back without Dai." Naruto answered, tying the knot of his headband tightly.

He walked out the door, into the sunshine, which felt off. He felt as if the world should be as dark as he felt. He broke out into a run, moving towards the south wall of the village. He felt one thought burn inside his brain as he vaulted over fence after fence.

_I'm not coming back, not without my son._


	4. Uchiha Blood

Kakashi drummed his fingers lightly on the counter. He stood, leaning against the cupboard, listening to Aniline talk. He had asked her over to hear more about the arguments that Naruto and Sakura had been having. She talked quickly, and he found himself mesmerized by the way her body moved, even as she stood still. She had dark skin, the color of coffee, and brown hair that swept just past her shoulder. Her eyes were brown, best described as chocolate.

"So…just trivial stuff, right?" he asked, when she finally stopped to draw breath. "Eighteen year olds struggling to be responsible…that sort of thing?"

Aniline nodded pensively. "Mostly…at first."

"At first?"

"Well, in the beginning, when they first moved here, Sakura, bless her, would only tell me about the trivial stuff. It was only much later, maybe six months back, that I learnt about the other stuff. The stuff that really stirred them up." Aniline pulled a photograph from her pocket. She showed it to Kakashi. It was folded down the middle, and when he looked at it, he recognized it instantly. It had been taken by the ocean. Sasuke and Sakura sat on a rock; Naruto was the one taking the picture.

"This is from one of our missions." He said, fingering the picture's torn edge. "Why do you have it?"

Aniline shrugged. "She gave it to me. That boy there, that's Dai's father. She said…she told me that only Naruto and her knew that Daisuke wasn't really Naruto's." Aniline paused, fishing in her pockets again. Not finding what she was searching for, she resumed her thought. "They had a lot of fights about him."

"About Daisuke?"

"About the other boy. The father."

"Sasuke." Kakashi supplied. "His name is Sasuke. He must've left before she knew about the baby. I didn't even guess that they were sleeping together." Aniline looked at him, eyebrows raised, her eyes going from the picture in his hands to his face. He didn't need to ask what she was thinking. How could he have been so oblivious?

"Well, anyway. This Sasuke, she missed him real bad, and I think Naruto, poor boy, he got jealous that even after all he did for the girl, she only wanted Daisuke to know his dad." Aniline smiled to herself. "She said to me once, she said, '_Sometimes I love that boy with all my heart, and sometimes, I can't stand to look at him… cause all I see is Sasuke'_. I felt her pain right then, I did. Sasuke broke her heart, and Naruto has spent three years trying to fix it. Usually, they fought about how she couldn't let go of the past."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, sitting down in the chair opposite to Aniline. "I should've known." He said sullenly. "When she quit the team, right after Sasuke left, I thought she was just sulking, you know?" he laughed bitterly. "But then, Naruto told me the whole story, or well, not the _whole_ story, as I can see now. He told me that she was pregnant, and that he had to take care of her. My whole team, gone, in one weekend."

Aniline nodded sympathetically. "It's a story to break a thousand hearts, that's for sure." She picked up her bag and went to the door, stopping suddenly as she exited. "If you need help, call me. I'm here in a second, okay?"

Kakashi nodded. "Sure." As she closed the door, he moved into Sakura's room. Sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, he watched the steady rise and fall of Sakura' chest as she breathed. His thoughts traveled back to Aniline's confessions.

* * *

"_And I remember thinking…what kind of person doesn't love her own son?" she had said, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. Kakashi_ _had looked away, not able to meet her eyes then. "But I figured it out. She loved the boy, but her heartbreak kept her from showing it. For the first few months, she couldn't look at him. Naruto had to be both the mom and the dad…it must've been hard. I remember hearing that argument from across the street. Mind you, they weren't stingy with volume."_

_Kakashi had grinned to himself then. He knew that Sakura had no qualms about yelling. Coupled with Naruto's ability to take everything the wrong way, that must have been a doozy._

"_A failure…he called her. Told her she was letting her son down. I had thought that was harsh, but not after I heard her reply. She told him, and I quote, 'I never asked for your opinion. This is my problem, why the fuck are you here?'. And Kakashi, his answer made my heart _hurt._ My husband looked at me strangely then, I just started crying in the middle of dinner. He said, and he yelled it, and it's the type of thing you'd think to whisper but, oh it hurts to say, he said, 'Because I love you, even though I shouldn't. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry Sakura.' It all got real quiet after that, and then, minutes later, I hear a knock on my door, and she and Daisuke are on the step." Aniline patted her heart. "The sight of her, it was heartbreaking. I let her in right away, sat her down, and she told me everything that night."_

"_Everything?" Kakashi had asked. "What do you mean?"_

"_Just…everything. About Daisuke, about her own failures, about how she felt so horrible for feeling like she couldn't love Dai…about how she just wanted Naruto to _get_ it. It was a hard night, for everybody."_

* * *

A soft mew from Sakura broke Kakashi from his thoughts. He moved to her side, but she made no other noise, and his hope was crushed, disappointment weighing him down. He watched her sleep, noting how much younger she looked. 

While awake, responsibility made her seem as if she was a thousand years old. Now, she looked like a child, just a girl of eighteen. Kakashi was grateful for Aniline's help. She had bathed and changed Sakura, something Kakashi had not been looking forward to, just for the sheer weirdness.

"What's going on inside your head?' he whispered, as Sakura's eyes began to race behind her eyelids. A frown marred her face, and Kakashi hoped her nightmares ended quickly, for her sake.

* * *

"_God…I need you, I'm sorry, come back… come back…please…Sasuke…" Sakura sat atop a large cliff, her feet dangling over the edge. She looked out onto the sunset, where her memories played like a drive-in movie. She saw herself, belly swollen, curled up behind the school, clutching a photograph and whispering to herself frantically. She knew what came next, yet couldn't pull her eyes away._

_In the theatre of her mind, Naruto appeared, pulling Sakura up from her position on the ground, and taking the picture from her hands. He was saying something, Sakura couldn't hear him, she was too busy begging._

"_I promise I'll be good…IpromiseIpromiseIpromise!"_

"_Sakura, come on, we've got to get home." Naruto's brow furrowing with worry, the sky was dark, the town silent._

"_Stay away from me!" Sakura screamed, tearing herself away. "I don't need this!" She ran away clumsily and Naruto stared after her, tears rolling down his cheeks silently. Slowly, he started after her, staying behind her, letting her run out her energy. Finally, Sakura collapsed against a building, and again, Naruto was there to take her home._

* * *

The forest was silent, save for the call of animals, and cracking of twigs. He moved quickly, knowing exactly where he was headed. If Sasuke wasn't staying in town, which he obviously wasn't if nobody had seen him, then he was in one place. He soon found the worn down path that had grown over in parts. 

This had been Team 7's hideaway, but Naruto hadn't been there for years. He swung himself from a tree branch, landing in the cave easily. He looked around, the place was lived in. "Dai?" he called, knowing he blocked the only exit. If Sasuke was here, he would need to escape by fighting. "Dai, are you here?"

"He's gone." A painful wheeze further down the tunnel exposed Sasuke's position. Naruto was next to him in a flash, ready to kill. Then, he saw Sasuke's injuries.

"Where is my son?" Naruto demanded. Sasuke laughed harshly, spitting blood from his mouth.

"Your son? Is that what you're calling him now?" Sasuke asked bitterly. "He's nothing of yours, asshole."

Naruto grit his teeth in frustration. "Tell me where my son is!" he demanded. "Is he here?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, he's gone. Long gone, by the looks of things."

"What are you saying?" Naruto asked slowly. "Who took Daisuke?" When Sasuke didn't answer, Naruto shook his shoulders urgently. "Sasuke, you impotent bastard, who took him?"

Sasuke spat out more blood, knocking Naruto's hands away. "My…brother…he was here." Sasuke admitted finally. Naruto gasped sharply.

"I thought you went away to kill your brother!" Naruto said, horrified. "Are you telling me you didn't?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. Why do you think I've been gone so long? I fought Itachi right after I left. I lost, yet he let me live. I've spent the last three years learning how to use my legs again."

Naruto said nothing, processing this new information. He knew he could go no further tonight, so he moved away from Sasuke, who did not seem to be mortally wounded. "You hurt Sakura badly." Naruto commented.

"She'll be fine," Sasuke retorted. "I missed most of the important organs, and it's nothing the Hokage can't handle."

"Yea, that belly cut healed real easy." Naruto agreed. He continued, his voice turning icy. "But her head injury put her in a coma, and she might never wake up."

"What?" Sasuke demanded. "Head injury? What head injury?"

"The one she got when she hit the floor, you fucking bastard!" Naruto responded. "If she never wakes up, I'm holding you responsible. I'll kill you for it."

Sasuke hung his head. "I never meant…"

"Why does your brother want Dai?" Naruto asked, needing to change the subject, before he hurt Sasuke.

"Something about…preserving Uchiha blood. He didn't say much, just knocked me around, took the boy, and left. I don't understand it though…why does he keep letting me live?"

"I have no idea, but I think it might be better, if next time, he doesn't." Naruto responded, settling down to sleep.


	5. Nothing Ever Changes

* * *

_Seriously...I got reviews...my head is still spinning. Tell me what you think of this one, I had a major lack of inspration. Also, let me know if there are any major typos(names, etc). Thanks! _

* * *

Kakashi busied himself with housework. He sorted laundry, cleaned the kitchen, but no matter what he did, he still had a restless feeling rooted in the pit of his chest. He could feel something coming, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The only time he felt like he was content, was when he stayed with Sakura. He had decided that talking to her would help wake her up, but soon ran out of things to say. 

So he sat, on the end of her bad, picking at threads in the blankets. He tried to figure out what story to tell her, and quickly settled on one he knew quite well.

"Once, there was a man. He was good at what he did, and he was assigned to be team leader of a bunch of kids. Now, this man, he didn't really think the kids could cut it, but they proved him wrong. Again and again, they proved him wrong."

"There were two guys and a girl on this team, and together, they did many missions, they helped a lot of people. And the man thought that he had made some friends. Then… one day, the man was surprised by his seemingly predictable teammates. The one boy, he decided he couldn't be a part of the team anymore, and went away. The two remaining team members, they quit real soon after that as well. And the man, he couldn't understand. How could all of his teaching do so little?" Kakashi paused, thinking over his next words. "And the man, he thought some really bad things about the girl, right after she quit. He thought that she was a coward, that she was frivolous. The man didn't know that the girl was going through the toughest time of her life, and that he should've been there to help her." Kakashi stopped again, clearing his throat at the sudden lump. "And now, the man looks at the girl, and is really proud of her, and wishes she would wake up, so she can know how sorry he is, for not being a teacher when she needed one most." He stopped, and Sakura was still silent, unmoving. Her breathing was even, deep and slow.

He stood up, leaving Sakura's room quietly. He was restless. It was all he could do to stay inside the house. He wanted to be in Naruto's place, hunting down Sasuke, finding Dai. But, he couldn't. Kakashi knew he couldn't. He had made a promise, to stay with Sakura, and he would not break it. He had found out more about Naruto and Sakura's life then he had ever cared to wonder about. Aniline knew the inner workings of their house almost as much as Sakura did. If she hadn't been so helpful, it would've frightened Kakashi.

He moved through the house quickly, looking slyly, leaving things exactly as they had been before. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he would know when he found it. Kakashi wanted at least one shred of proof that Naruto and Sakura should be together, that they loved each other, because from all accounts, their lives were not happy ones.

Back in Sakura's room, he sifted through the things in the closet's top shelf. "Jackpot." He whispered to himself, pulling a battered shoebox from the very back. It had been decorated clumsily, with stickers and markers. Kakashi brought the box into the kitchen, sitting heavily at the table. He flicked the box's lid off efficiently, staring at the multitude of pictures before him.

Sakura had kept pictures from every part of her life. She had photos of Ino and her together, looking about six. She had a picture of Team 7, all together. Kakashi smiled at the memory, before pushing to the bottom of the box, where a clump of photos were bound together by a rubber band. He pulled them apart, mesmerized by the images. They were mostly Sakura and Sasuke, but the ones closest to the bottom of the pile featured Daisuke.

Sakura and Sasuke at the beach, laughing. Kakashi had never seen a look like that on Sasuke's face before. Naruto must've been the photographer, for there were no pictures of him, not in the whole pile. Another picture showed Sasuke teaching Sakura a technique, and she laughing too hard to listen.

Kakashi flipped through these photos, disgusted with himself. _I should've known! _He thought angrily. _I knew they were involved, but how could I have missed…they were sleeping together…it was never a secret. _He replaced the rubber band and looked elsewhere in the box. Finally, he found something useful.

It was Naruto, Sakura, and Daisuke, at the hospital. This had been right after the delivery when the drugs made Sakura giddy. She was grinning from ear to ear, holding her son, while Naruto couched next to the bed, looking at Sakura instead of the camera.

Kakashi knew that she would not smile again like that for a long time. He remembered her haunted look, the first few months. It had been heartbreaking, and the guilt had been almost unbearable.

"Isn't going through her things a bit unethical?"

Kakashi jumped at the sound of the voice. He looked up to see Aniline standing in the open doorway. "I knocked, but…" she said, as an explanation. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. In her hands, she toted a large basket. "I brought food, seeing how they have nothing here."

Kakashi nodded his thanks, inviting her to sit with him. "I'm just trying to find some proof that Naruto and Sakura can actually work." He explained, gesturing at the pictures. "Everything I've been hearing has been so negative."

Aniline snorted. "You should've just asked me." She said. At Kakashi's look, she shrugged. "Okay, so I know that most of what I said wasn't good, but I was talking about the early days, so gimme a break."

"So, tell me about lately." Kakashi suggested, reaching into the basket and drawing out a cookie. He thought about pulling down his mask to eat it, it smelled delicious, but instead, put the snack down on the table in front of him, preparing himself for another of Aniline's speeches.

"Lately, it's been mellow. Sakura's been, what's the word? Restless. Naruto's been trying to get her to go back to work, but she won't hear of it. I dunno why." Aniline said, picking at her nails thoughtfully. "Besides those little spats, it's been alright. The worst was over a long time ago."

Picking up a slip of paper from the box in front of him, Kakashi smiled grimly to himself. "I think I know why she was so reluctant." He said quietly, handing the paper over. Aniline looked at it, frowning.

"It's an application for medical training!" she said. "But, it's old…"

"That's what Sakura was gonna do, before she found out about the baby. She wants to be a doctor, but she's too afraid that something else will come and change her life." Kakashi sighed. "I guess she was right."

* * *

"You're not coming with me." 

Naruto was pulling on his sandals while Sasuke stood over him. Sasuke growled loudly. "Of course I'm coming! It's _my_ son, and _my_ brother! You're the one who should stay behind."

Naruto stood, shaking his head. He picked up his back pack and walked out the mouth of the cave. He didn't stop when he heard Sasuke catch up to him.

"I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not." He said firmly, falling in step with the smaller man. Naruto snorted.

"What, so you can take Dai away as soon as we find him? I think not. You'll probably hurt him, like you did Sakura."

"What? I would never hurt my own son!" Sasuke protested angrily.

"Why not?" Naruto shot back, not breaking his stride. "You nearly killed Sakura, the mother of your child, she might still die yet. What's stopping you from doing the same to Dai?" he asked. This was a question he truly wanted an answer to. He needed to know that Daisuke would be safe, if Naruto got hurt trying to rescue him.

"I never meant for it to go that bad." Sasuke admitted. "I just needed her unable to fight back. You were in the next room; it had to be fast, and quiet. That's all." He swallowed a heavy lump in his throat. "It was never about hurting her."

"Well, good news for me, anyways." Naruto said, falsely cheery. Off Sasuke's look, he explained. "She'll never take back your dumb ass, now that you've stabbed her in the gut. I've done some stupid stuff, but I don't recall ever putting her in a coma." Sasuke grimaced darkly, then a smirk spread over his face.

"Are you that worried?" he asked slyly. Naruto started. What the hell was Sasuke talking about. "I mean, are you so worried that she'll chose someone else, that you'll only trust her now, when she's unconscious?"

Naruto groaned, hopping over a log. "You know that's not it. Stop twisting around what I say."

"But this won't be any fun, if I can't make fun of you." Sasuke said, pouting. Off Naruto's look, he shut up.

They moved on silently, quickly, towards the village. Sasuke had the suspicion that Itachi would be hiding out near a populated place. With an irritable toddler in tow, he would need supplies often, and would likely be noticed.

"When we get back to the village, I need to see Sakura, before we look for your brother. You would do good to apologize to her. She's probably awake by now." Naruto said suddenly. Sasuke nodded, not realizing that Naruto was only trying to convince himself that Sakura's injuries were less than they appeared.

* * *


	6. The Demands That Dreams Make

"Oh my girl, my beautiful girl…" Naruto whispered, clinging to Sakura's limp hand. Her face was sunken, pale. A tube was feeding fluids into her arm, and Naruto stroked the irritated spot. He clenched his teeth in anguish, leaning over Sakura to brush hair from her unmoving face. He said to Kakashi, who stood at the door, "Why isn't she awake yet?"

"The fall was a pretty bad one." The former team leader answered. Behind him, Aniline stood in the kitchen, talking softly with Sasuke. "We've got doctors coming in and out of here, all saying the same thing."

"And what's that?" Naruto questioned, still holding Sakura's hand tightly.

"That she'll wake when she wakes, and that the longer it takes, the worse off she'll be when it happens."

"That's not good enough!" Naruto said, outraged. He stood quickly, distancing himself from the bed. His hands shook with rage, and his eyes were fiery. "She _has_ to wake up! I can't live without her…I- I need her."

Kakashi nodded, looking forlorn and helpless. "I know." He rubbed his face wearily. "I know."

Pushing past Kakashi, Naruto went into the kitchen. "You're not seeing her." He said to Sasuke. The livid face of his once teammate made him feel marginally better. Sasuke started to object, but a small noise from Aniline stopped him. He nodded to the woman, looking shamed.

"I'll be outside." Sasuke told the group, moving out the door to stand in the front yard.

"What did you say to him?" Kakashi asked while Naruto poured himself a glass of water.

"I just told him what anyone else would have. He has shamed his family, his clan, his village." Aniline answered, taking the proffered drink from Naruto. Kakashi did the same, nodding thoughtfully.

"He's done more then that." Naruto muttered darkly. Kakashi looked at him, wondering what was happening inside the boy's head.

"So, are you gonna tell us why you're here, without Dai?" Aniline finally asked, breaking the silence. Naruto growled, mostly at himself.

"Cause Sasuke let his brother take Dai away. You'd think a kidnapper could keep a better handle on a toddler, but, I guess not." Naruto shook his head angrily, tugging his fingers through his blonde hair. "So now, we're going after Itachi. Sasuke thinks he'll be close to the village, and I can't disagree with his reasoning."

"Can you stay the night, just to rest?" Aniline asked, but off Naruto's look, she sighed. "I thought not. Well, I'll feed you, then you can leave. Get Sasuke back in here." Naruto did as he was told, walking out the front door where Sasuke stood, staring up at the sun.

"It's beautiful." Sasuke said, as Naruto walked up behind him on the lawn. Naruto snorted.

"Don't get sentimental on me now, Uchiha." Naruto said back, looking up at the sky as well. Sasuke gritted his teeth to curb his temper.

"I just meant…fuck, I don't care. Are we leaving?" Sasuke said finally. Naruto shook his head.

"Aniline wants us to eat first, and then we're headed for the caves east of here."

Sasuke voiced his agreement, following Naruto back into the house. Aniline had set out lunch, and talked animatedly with Kakashi while the two young men wolfed down the food. Naruto kept an eye on Sakura's room the whole time, but the girl didn't stir.

After almost half an hour, Naruto was itching to get back on the road, to search for Dai. Every minute counted, Daisuke could have already been killed by Itachi, the man was very unstable. "We're leaving now." Naruto said to Sasuke, soon after their meals were finished.

Sasuke nodded, following Naruto out. They said goodbye to Aniline and Kakashi, then headed for the village gates. As they ran down the road, sun high in the sky, Kakashi stood with Aniline, watching them go.

"Can you stay with Sakura for a bit?" Kakashi asked. Aniline nodded, looking confused. "I have to go hit things." He said, when she inquired why.

"It was a good thing you did, leaving Sasuke unharmed. Naruto will need him, to find the boy." Aniline said firmly. As Kakashi shook his head and turned to leave, she grabbed his arm. "Hey!" she said forcefully. "I'm serious. You did good." Smiling slightly, she kissed his cheek, lips brushing against the fabric of his mask. Aniline let go of his arm, leaving him on the front lawn. She walked into Sakura's house, not looking back.

Stroking his cheek thoughtfully, Kakashi looked at Aniline's house, directly across the street for where he stood. In the window of the second storey, a face was clearly visible. _The husband_, Kakashi thought, turning to walk down the street, in the opposite direction that Sasuke and Naruto has gone.

* * *

_Rain pelted against the gravel furiously, and Sakura found herself tripping constantly. She cried out as her knee struck against something sharp. She felt cold metal slice into her thigh, and she screamed in anguish. _

_They had caught her._

_Rough hands grabbed at her neck, lifting her up. Sakura tried to struggle, but hands appeared, restraining every limb. She bit at the hands that tried to keep her quiet, and was rewarded with a harsh blow to the face. Tears poured down her cheeks while she fought to stay conscious._

"_We have the girl." A tight, clipped voice came from the strongest man, the one standing right behind her ear. _

"_Good…very good." A soft, musical voice belied the speaker's desire for violence, and Sakura found herself fearing the slim man most of all._

"_Please…let me go…" Sakura begged, hating herself for sounding so weak. She was just as trained as anyone else, why couldn't she fight off a few thugs? The slim man laughed lightly, coming closer to Sakura's struggling form._

"_Oh no, my dear, I won't be doing that." A gloved finger trailed down Sakura's cheek, and she shivered in fear at the contact._

"_Please…" she whispered, her voice breaking. The hand at her face cupped her cheek, then the contact vanished._

"_Take her." The voice was cold now, full of purpose._

_The men holding Sakura hustled her down the alley as she cried out. "No! No! You can't do this! Please… let me go! I'll do anything!" she fought an arm free and struck the slim man lightly in the chest. He looked up from an object in his palm, his pale face covered in surprise. "Please sir…" Sakura said, fighting for one last chance to escape. "You don't know what you've done…"_

_The man frowned, his brows furrowing in confusion. "No, my dear. It is you who fails to comprehend the situation. I am going to kill you, and the bastard that you carry inside of you."_

_Sakura's eyes widened in shock, she had thought that no one knew about the baby. She had barely begun to show, and none of her friends knew yet. "Please…you can't…" she whispered, as the men dragged her from the alley. The slim man stayed where he was, watching her go. His face was impassive, lit up by a flash of lightning. He looked away from Sakura's pleading face to the object in his hand. It was a small paper fan, ornate and delicate. Rain beat against it, but it was made to withstand such abuse._

_The man stood at the mouth of the alley, watching his henchmen hustle Sakura away. She screamed and screamed, but the noise of the rain and thunder overpowered her. _

The dream shifted, and Sakura moaned into her pillow. Her face shone with sweat, while Aniline sat at her side, fretting. She watched as Sakura tossed listlessly. The nightmare had lasted almost a full twenty minutes, and none of the sedatives that Aniline had given the girl had worked to calm her. In retrospect, they had seemed to make things worse.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Aniline asked Sakura's writhing form, using a washcloth to wipe sweat away from the girl's face.

"Dai…"

The sound escaped Sakura's parted lips, and Aniline started in surprise. She grabbed Sakura's shoulders, shaking her harshly. "Sakura, can you hear me? Sakura! Answer me, dammit!"

"_Sakura!"_

_A distant voice called her name, and Sakura was pulled back into her memories. She knew that this memory had been mangled by a dream, and what was happening, never happened. Naruto had saved her, the men had been killed. She knew this as fact, so why did she also know that she was lying on a cold stone floor, watching a tall man pace back and forth?_

"_You're going to tell me the father of this child. You're going to tell me, and this time, you're going to tell me the truth." The man finally said, brandishing a scalpel with eerie calmness. _

"_Please no…keep away from me." Sakura begged, clutching her knees to her chest._

"_Very well." The man sighed. He lunged at her, and Sakura squeezed her eyes shut._

"Naruto!" Sakura's eyes shot open, bloodshot and blurry. She could see Aniline hovering above her, mouth moving like a fish, making no sound.

"Sakura! Sakura, stay with me!"

Sakura closed her eyes, accepting oblivion again. Aniline's voice faded from hearing, and the lights dimmed behind her eyes.

Aniline watched as Sakura fell asleep again, tears rolling down her face. "Sakura, please…wake up!" she sobbed, uncharacteristically emotional. Sakura didn't respond, having returned to her comatose state.

Aniline stood, moving away from Sakura's bed. She moved into the kitchen, her hands shaking with rage. She had sat by Sakura's side for almost three hours, watching the girl slowly drift in and out of nightmares. Within the last half hour, everything had changed. Sakura had been uncontrollable, but she had made no intelligible noises. But, two names in less than three minutes, and she had seen Sakura open her eyes!

What was keeping Sakura locked in her dreams?

* * *

_Sorry that I took so long to update, my sister just had her baby, so everything's been pretty hectic here. Tell me what you think of this one._


	7. Awakening

Trekking through dense forest was easier when you didn't loathe the person accompanying you. Naruto took the lead, pushing through the undergrowth towards their destination. Sasuke followed him closely, giving directions, even though he knew that Naruto didn't need them.

"Would you just shut up?" Naruto finally demanded, making Sasuke smirk in delight. Naruto sighed in satisfaction when Sasuke said nothing, climbing out from the bush he was entangled in. "I think we're close." He told his impromptu partner.

"Yea, except for the cliff." Sasuke said cynically.

"Cliff? What cliff? I don't remember there ever being a cliff!" Naruto cried, tugging at his hair. Such an obstacle would certainly slow them down, and give them a greater chance of being overhead, or seen.

"That's because we always came from the top." Sasuke said, his voice showing his boredom. "Now are we gonna get started?"

Naruto growled his frustration, pushing out of the clump of trees directly ahead of him. As Sasuke had predicted, a step cliff face stared back at him. "I hate the god damn Uchiha!" Naruto grabbed as high as he could, pulling his body up the first step in the cliff. He grumbled as he climbed, throwing threats and insults in Sasuke's direction. "Bunch of god damn terrorists, with their god damn sweaters and their stupid god damn hair…"

Sasuke climbed after him, keeping pace easily. He either did not hear the insults directed his way, or chose to ignore them. Instead, he concentrated on the thought of his son.

It had been electric, when he had first seen the boy. Sitting on Sakura's hip, the chubby cheeked child had stared at him, eyes wide with wonder. His jet black hair, sticking out in all directions, was frighteningly familiar. When Naruto had first opened the door to Sakura's house, Sasuke had had some doubts about everything, but seeing Daisuke had brought everything back to earth.

"Hurry the fuck up, or we'll never get up this god damn cliff and you can be the one to explain to Sakura and Kakashi why Itachi still has my god damn son…"

Sasuke shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He pushed on, climbing quickly to catch up with Naruto. They were nowhere near halfway, with an hour more of climbing to go before reaching the first ledge.

"If you'd move your ass a bit faster, I wouldn't need to lag behind." Sasuke retorted, grinning as Naruto sped up without replying.

* * *

"_My flower, my love…" Sakura could hear the voice wisp through her dream, and she opened her eyes. Instantly, she knew she wasn't at home. She lay on a hard bed while stark white walls glared at her. She relaxed a bit, seeing Naruto standing over her. She tried to talk, but was seized by a crippling pain in her abdomen._

"_Naruto!" she screamed, clutching at the bulge in her stomach. The contraction held her body in a vice-like grip while Naruto watched on in horror. A nurse bustled in, patting his arm._

"_It's alright dear, it'll be over soon. What's that one, just five minutes past? Now that they're regular, I'll be callin' the midwife in." The woman smiled at him again before sweeping out. Naruto watched as Sakura unfolded her body, laying back. Her face shone with sweat, while her eyebrows were furrowed in pain._

"_I don't think I can do this," she whispered. Naruto shook his head, wrapping his hand around hers. He knelt on the ground, bringing his face close to hers._

"_I know you can," he whispered back, kissing her cheek. "You're the strongest person I've ever known. There's no way you can't do this." He smiled at her, and was rewarded by a small smile from Sakura._

"_I know that these things don't always go right." Sakura whispered, clenching her fist as she felt the beginning of another contraction. Naruto knew where she was going, and tried to hush her. _

"_Sakura, trust me…everything's gonna be fine." He told her, but she shook her head._

"_Let me finish!" she gasped, trying to breathe calmly. "I **do** trust you. You're the only one I trust. Okay? That's why I need **you** to be the one who takes care of my baby, if something happens. This is my child, Naruto…our child. Okay? Please…just…promise me?" _

_Naruto smiled weakly, kissing Sakura's forehead gently. "Of course." He whispered. "Anything, for you. Anything."_

_Sakura relaxed, her hand still gripping Naruto's. "Thank you." She whispered, before another contraction hit her, sending her into a wave of screams._

_The midwife, along with the nurse, came in. "She's got some lungs on her, yea?" the nurse commented. Naruto couldn't understand how they could be so calm, while Sakura was howling in pain._

"_Alright honey, you're doing great." The midwife crooned to Sakura, while helping the nurse restrain her flailing arms. "All I need you to do is push the next time you feel the contraction. Can you do that for me, honey?"_

"_I can't! It hurts! I can't!" Sakura wailed, gripping Naruto's hand so hard that he was sure the bones would snap. _

"_Come on sweetheart, just do this. I know you can." the midwife replied, obviously trained enough to ignore Sakura's pleading._

_Naruto held on to his love, trying to keep her grounded. He whispered things in her ear as she cried. He told her about how well she was doing, of how proud everyone was. Finally, with one last penetrating scream, the midwife appeared from in between Sakura's legs, a wrinkled baby in her hands. _

_The child was tiny, covered in blood, and screaming like a banshee. Naruto stared at in wonder. Even red, wrinkled and angry, the baby was the most beautiful he'd ever seen. "It's a boy." The nurse pronounced, as she cleaned the boy gently, wiping fluid from his nose and face. "Do you have a name?"_

_Naruto looked down at Sakura, who looked up at him dizzily. Her expression was giddy. "His name is Daisuke." She told Naruto, smiling widely. The nurse heard this and nodded._

"_And the last name? I assume it's Haruno?" The nurse asked, while she wrapped Daisuke in a blanket._

"_No."_

_Naruto looked at Sakura in surprise. She smiled at him. "It's Uzumaki." She corrected. The nurse nodded._

"_I'll get the papers. Here is your boy. Congratulations." She handed Daisuke to Naruto, who took him gingerly. _

"_Sakura…" he whispered. "Your son…he's beautiful." He gave Sakura the baby, watching her eyes fill with tears._

"_He's your son too, Naruto." _

* * *

Kakashi was sitting in the kitchen when he heard her. The resounding wail that pushed through the house knocked him from his chair in surprise. Regaining his bearings, he ran into Sakura's room, where she sat straight up, eyes wild. "Sakura!" he cried out, more in shock then anything else. 

"Oh god…Dai!" Sakura moaned, pulling at the tubes in her arms. "Please! Let me help him! He's scared! My baby!"

Kakashi ran to Sakura's side, trying to keep her still. "Sakura, it was a dream, it's all right." He knew this was a lie, but it was all he could think to say.

"No, you don't understand! Sensei! _Please!_ Let me help my baby! He's hurt, so frightened!" Sakura did nothing to stem the flow of tears that tracked down her face. Instead, she fought to stand.

"How do you know that?" Kakashi asked, trying to be reasonable.

"I saw him! He's with…he's with…Sasuke's brother! And _he's so afraid_ Sensei!" Sakura tugged the blankets off her legs. "Where's Naruto?" she asked, while Kakashi tried to keep her in the bed.

"Sakura, he's out, looking for Dai. He's gone to find Itachi."

"_Itachi_."

The one word was laced with rage, and Sakura immediately calmed. Venom overtook her eyes, and she calmly took Kakashi's hands from her shoulders. She steadied herself as she tried to stand. She wobbled precariously, but finally, remained stable and upright.

"I need to shower."

He voice was empty, as if she had no emotion. Truth be told, Kakashi was frightened by this version of Sakura. She had one goal. To get out and find Dai, and punish every single person who had harmed him. Kakashi helped her towards the bathroom.

"Do you need Aniline?" he asked, but Sakura shook her head, telling her teacher that she could shower by herself. She closed the door with a resounding click. Kakashi stared at the door for a few moments, until he heard the water start. He marveled at Sakura's ability to just get up, out of a coma, and have a shower. It was almost unbelievable.

Inside the bathroom, Sakura stood under the spray of the streaming water, her hands braced against the warming tiles of the wall. She remembered her dream perfectly; _could she call it a dream_? Her vision?

It had been Daisuke, crying hard as Itachi ignored him, running ruthlessly through the wood. She could hear hounds barking, and people yelling. She could feel Daisuke's fear. It had been horrible enough to wake her from the coma that had trapped her in melancholy.

She washed her hair, scrubbing days of sweat from her body. It didn't take long for Sakura to itch to be on the move. She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body as she walked out into the hall and into her bedroom.

She pushed her way through the clutter, searching for her uniform. Finally, she pulled out a pair of black pants, along with a dark sleeveless turtle neck.

She pulled the clothes on, strapping her belt firmly around her waist. She carefully withdrew the box holding her new set of daggers. As she lifted the box, her headband slipped from beneath it, falling to the floor.

Carefully, Sakura picked it up, fingering the cloth.

_It's been so long. _Sakura wrapped the headband around her head, pushing it to hold back her hair. Stepping from the room, she nodded to Kakashi before heading for the door.

"Wait! Are you just gonna leave?" he yelped, following her.

"I've got nothing else here." Sakura responded. "My whole family is out in that forest."

* * *


	8. Deceit Carved Into Flesh

For full trained ninjas of a respected village, Sasuke and Naruto had left a trail a mile wide. Any rookie could've followed them, and Sakura was no rookie. Not anymore. She moved swiftly, if a little stiffly, the pain in her side tolerable, but very present.

When she came to the bottom of the impressive cliff, the trail stopped. She sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to make the climb in her weakened state. Instead, she walked along the bottom, knowing that it would curve into more of a steep hill somewhere along the way.

She carried a small bag on her back, and the heavy fan inside bounced against her back as she walked. The _shukusen _was a small silk fan, harmless looking, but was anything but. Spring loaded blades hid themselves within the folds of silk, ready to appear in battle. Sakura treasured the weapon; it had been a midwinter gift from Naruto the year earlier.

She walked quickly, making good time. A few hundred meters above her head, Sasuke and Naruto were not faring as well.

* * *

"This isn't that hard!" Sasuke snapped, losing his temper. Naruto rolled his eyes. 

"Says you!" he retorted, finally pulling himself up over the tricky out poking of rock that had hindered him. Behind him, Sasuke clambered over it easily.

"Guess you haven't been keeping up with training." Sasuke said smugly, as the pair continued their climb. Naruto grit his teeth in anger.

"No, I really haven't. Been to busy taking care of _your_ son!" Agitation made his voice harsh. He didn't look down at the man below him, but felt that a healthy evisceration was not out of order.

After this, Sasuke shut up. They were close to the top of the cliff, where the spattering of caves waited. after a small argument, naruto had agreed that Sasuke's assumption could be correct. Sasuke expected Itachi to be hiding out with Daisuke in the general area.

* * *

The man was stupid. He didn't want to play, he didn't want to sing. All he wanted to do was sit at the front of the cave and be quiet. Daisuke was bored. He missed his mommy, as was contemplating making a scene. He missed his daddy too. Daddy always knew how to have fun. 

Not like the man. Stupid man.

Suddenly, a burst of yellow against the dark red dirt caught Daisuke's eyes. He stood on his tired legs, straining to see.

"Daddy?" Dai cried out. He was suddenly very tired and not interested in the man at all. He wanted to go home, and the visible burst of blonde hair was enough to make him run to the cave's mouth. But then, the man got to his feet, looking more alive then Daisuke had seen him the whole time they had been together. The man threw Daisuke backward, sending the toddler head over heels in the dirt.

* * *

Naruto left Sasuke to fend for himself at the edge of the cliff. The moment he had seen Daisuke, teamwork had gone out of the picture. He knew with perfect clarity what this was. 

A setup.

Sasuke had used him, he had used them all. For the boy. For Daisuke. It became mind numbingly clear. Sasuke's knowledge of Itachi's presence was too convenient. The fact that Itachi sat out in the open, unafraid of any attack also let Naruto know that Itachi was expecting help.

Naruto tried not to think of that as he sprinted the hundred meters between the cliff edge and the mouth if the cave. He could see Daisuke, sitting in the dirt, looking bewildered. Itachi stood; relaxing against the wall of the cave, and Naruto could hear Sasuke's heavy footsteps behind him. The bigger man was catching up, but Naruto knew he could outrun him.

A child's voice rang out clearly in the afternoon sunshine. Daisuke called out to Naruto, struggling to stand upright on his chubby legs. Naruto sped up, skidding to a halt before Itachi. Sasuke stopped behind him.

"Naruto! Get Daisuke! I'll hold off Itachi!" Sasuke said urgently. Naruto scowled. Now that he knew the truth, Sasuke's pathetic attempts at being a team player were disgusting to watch.

"I think not." Naruto said, turning so that he could keep both Uchiha men in his sight. Sasuke frowned, his brow mashing in sudden confusion. Then, his face smoothed, and he looked chillingly like his older brother. He understood. The game was up.

"So you know." He stated, squaring his shoulders. He stepped closer to his brother, the two of them effectively blocking Naruto from the cave, from Daisuke.

"Dad!" Daisuke cried again, running towards them. Sasuke spun around and grabbed the boy by the front of his shirt, lifting him of the ground. Struggling, Daisuke started to cry. Naruto leapt forward, only to be struck down by a blow from Itachi.

"Why are you going this?" Naruto growled, spitting blood from his mouth. Sasuke dropped his son, forcing him further into the cave, before speaking.

"If you recall, our clan was slaughtered. We three, the last of the Uchiha blood, are all that is left. Did you really think that I would let one of _my_ blood to stay with a weakling such as _you_?" Sasuke smiled slightly. "I had hoped…that violence would be unnecessary. The last time I saw Sakura, she had _begged _me to stay. Surely, she would welcome my return?" A deep frown appeared on his face. "But that wasn't the case. I came back for my son, and my lover, to find that you, of all people, had set up shop in the place where I had once stood." Sasuke punched Naruto in the jaw. "Unacceptable." He spat.

Naruto fell to the ground from the force of the blow. He looked up at the two men who towered over him. Itachi was silent, his face a mask of calm. Sasuke was less controlled, his eyes were wild. "How…" Naruto started, but needed to stop for a breather. "How did you find out about Dai?" he asked. Sasuke grinned at this.

"How do you think? Sakura told me."

* * *

Though the hike up the steep hill was not an enjoyable one, Sakura found it easier than having to climb up the cliff face. She was making good time; she would reach the top within fifteen minutes. The caves that Kakashi had mentioned were close by, and she quickened her pace, feeling her determination speed up her mission to reach the hill's top.

As she walked, she felt herself drift into memories. It was as if she was asleep again, and every minute was real, like it had happened only moments ago.

* * *

"_You can't get rid of it!" he had shouted. They were standing outside a café, three months into Sakura's pregnancy. Naruto had just found out her intentions._

"_I'm fifteen years old! There is _no way_ I can give this child any life! At least, with another family, my baby can have some security. That's all I want." Sakura whispered. She reached out, her hand slipping around Naruto's arm. He wrenched himself away from the contact, his eyes wide in disbelief._

"_You're just gonna give up? Before we even try?" he asked, his voice rising, not caring about the stares they were getting from passersby._

"_It's not like I have much of a choice!" Sakura cried. "I'm all I've got, and I'm the only one who has to make these choices." Her voice lowered and she looked to the ground. "You have no idea how hard it's been to make this decision."_

_Naruto sneered at her, the hurt on his face more than apparent. "And you never thought that _maybe _this might affect _me _too?" he snorted. "Of course not. All you've been doing is thinking of yourself, and your precious Sasuke."_

_He turned away from her, chucking the grocery bags he held to the ground. Sakura started after him, then paused, calling out to him. "He left, Naruto, and you're still here! Who do you think matters more to me right now?"_

_Naruto didn't turn around. "Spare me." He spat, over his shoulder. He stalked off, leaving Sakura in the middle of the sidewalk, nervously wringing her hands._

* * *

Time had passed, and Sakura was near the top of the hill. She felt her mind enter her body again, and she was aware of shouting close by. Pushing her weary body into a run, Sakura moved towards the noise.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Sasuke grinned. "Did ya really think I was gonna leave her, alone, with you, without something to keep me updated?" Sasuke asked. Naruto frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"He means that he's been spying on us. He's been keeping tabs on us." Sakura's large eyes bored into Sasuke, making his grin falter. "You knew about Dai, but you had no idea, until we told you, that he was yours. You thought that Daisuke was Naruto's. That's why you stayed away so long." She paused, her face hardening. "You didn't want anything second hand, especially me."

Naruto moved towards Sakura, but Sasuke blocked his path. Naruto lashed out at him, the blow making the larger man fall to the ground. Itachi spoke at this, his voice startling Naruto after being so silent.

"You'll not succeed. We'll take the boy, and most likely the girl. Not even Kyuubi can help you now." Itachi turned and picked up Daisuke, slinging the boy over his shoulder. "Come brother. I grow weary of this. Take your wife and let's go."

Sasuke stood slowly, rubbing his jaw. His arm darted out grabbing at Sakura. It was then that Naruto snapped into action. He launched himself at Sasuke, causing the two to fall and roll away from Sakura and Daisuke. Sakura leapt towards Itachi, making a grab for Daisuke. The toddler squealed, struggling to get free.

Against just a toddler, or just Sakura, Itachi would've needed to expend no effort. But with Daisuke wailing in his arms, and a furious mother scratching at his face, Itachi lost his temper.

Daisuke went sailing through the air to the horror of Sakura, who launched herself after him. She caught her son in midair, turning as she fell so that she would take the impact. Landing on the sharp stones, Sakura cursed, feeling the blood drip down her face. Daisuke was crying, which she took as a good sign, meaning he was awake. "Baby…are you hurt?" she whispered frantically, turning Dai in her arms. He was bruised, with blood coming from his mouth, but he reached for Sakura when he saw her face.

"Mommy!" he sobbed, and Sakura clutched him tightly to her chest. Over his mop of jet black hair, she looked for Naruto. Naruto was holding his own with Sasuke, but would not fare well with Itachi, who was approaching the two fighters.

"Sakura!" Naruto called, throwing her a look. "Take him and go!"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not leaving you!" she cried, struggling to stand.

"This isn't a debate!" Naruto roared, throwing a punch that sent Sasuke to the ground. Itachi pounced then, taking Naruto from behind. "Go!"

Torn, Sakura did the only thing she felt she could.

She ran.

She ran the way she had come; she sprinted down the hill, Daisuke held against her tightly. The boy was still crying quietly, burying his face in the fabric of his mother's shirt. Sakura ran away from the fight, from her lover, from her principles. She ran away, against her better judgment. Adrenaline and fear brought her to the cliff's base quickly, in under five minutes. She didn't stop to marvel at this, but instead, took off for the village.

Naruto struggled against Itachi, but knew he was no match for the stronger man. He had seen Sakura run, and was grateful that she had listened to him for once. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, presumably chasing after his son. Suddenly, Itachi came into his view, a sick grin on his face. "Goodbye!" he smirked, before he brought the rock down on Naruto's temple.

Naruto didn't feel the impact; all he knew was the sweet black oblivion that came afterwards. He floated in memories, and begged himself to wake again. His efforts were futile, and all hope was lost as Naruto sank further into unconsciousness.

* * *


	9. Promises Whispered Like Prayers

* * *

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…_I'm sorry_…Do you hear me? _I'm sorry!_" 

Coherency was not Sakura's main concern at the moment; she was more focused on begging for forgiveness. She was still running, adrenaline fueling her strides, keeping the pain in her body a distant, dull throbbing. Daisuke had stopped crying, he was now just peering up at his mother in shock. He was being bounced around, and was very uncomfortable. He wanted to ask mother to stop. Stop running, stop crying, stop anything. He wanted her to look at him.

Sakura was ripping through the forest wildly, branches tearing into her clothes, leaving nicks on her skin. She protected Daisuke from the worst of it, he was only bleeding from a scratch on his cheek.

They were near the entrance of the village, but still pushing through the forest that crept up on the village walls. When the forest stopped, Sakura stumbled at the lack of resistance. She stared up at the towering wall of the village and then ran left, making her way to the gate. It was open, and Sakura darted through, blessing the miracle of being home.

She tried not to think of Naruto, alone, with the Uchiha brothers in full force. Sakura felt her legs start to wobble, and she slowed to a walk. She looked around. Her feet had taken her home of their own accord. She was near her house; there was even a light in the window. She thought of all the times that Naruto had left the light on for her, after arguments. He always made sure that she could easily come home.

As she stepped on the first stone of the walkway, Sakura's steps faltered. She didn't know if she could face their home, knowing that she had betrayed the man she loved. It was a bitter knowledge, to understand that saving Naruto had meant sacrificing Daisuke. She walked towards her front door, her trembling son clutched tightly in her arms.

A voice broke through her silent state. "Sakura!" She paused, turning to look behind her. Kakashi stood on the other side of the street, with Aniline next to him. Sakura stared at her teacher as he hurried across the street. He reached her quickly, Aniline close behind him. She pushed Kakashi out of the way.

"Sakura, baby, are you okay?" she asked, her voice soothing. Sakura didn't answer, her eyes were wide and blood was trailing down her face from a cut on her forehead. Aniline took Daisuke from his mother, and Sakura made a small noise of protest. "It's okay, sweetheart, it's okay." Aniline coaxed, handing Dai to Kakashi, who looked bewildered.

"Take him inside," Aniline ordered, and Kakashi obeyed. She led Sakura into the house as well, sitting the shell shocked girl at the kitchen table. She sat beside, keeping her face level with Sakura. "Where is Naruto?" she asked. Sakura's eyes flicked around the room. "Sakura, can you tell me where Naruto is?" Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She snapped her jaw shut again.

Aniline handed her a glass of water, but Sakura just stared at it, not comprehending. "Drink it." Aniline ordered. Sakura obeyed, and then was able to speak.

"I left him." She whispered. Aniline knew this is what was eating at the girl most. "I left him there, alone, with them. They're gonna kill him. He's gonna die, and I'll be all alone again." Her voice was rising. "I can't do it! I can't live without him!" she cried. Aniline moved to hug her and Sakura clutched at the fabric of the older woman's clothes. "I can't…I can't…I'm sorry…_I'm so sorry_." She sobbed into Aniline's shoulder.

* * *

In the next room, Kakashi sat with Daisuke, putting cream on the superficial cuts and scrapes that covered the boy's arms and legs. Dai didn't squeal at the sting of the cream, for which Kakashi was grateful. He was not the most patient person, and had no idea how to deal with upset children. He had just been at Aniline's house, meeting her daughter, who was nearly six. Her husband had been out, and Kakashi got the feeling that had the man been there, the visit would have been much less relaxed. 

"Mommy?' Daisuke asked. Kakashi shushed him, also hearing the frantic noises from the next room. He knew that Aniline could handle a hysterical Sakura better than he, but it still pained him to be away from her.

"Mom'll be here soon," Kakashi assured the young boy. "Now let's get you into bed." He sat Daisuke down on his bed, and was at a loss for what to do next. They boy sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at him expectantly. Kakashi frowned. He supposed that putting him _underneath_ the covers would be the next step…

Daisuke was now under the covers, his big eyes still staring up at Kakashi. "What?" Kakashi asked.

"Story."

"What?" Kakashi asked again, confused.

"I want a story." Daisuke said again, starting to get frustrated. This man was almost as little fun as the black haired one. He wasn't allowed to tug on his shiny hair, he wasn't allowed to touch his mask. There was a long list of things he wasn't allowed.

"I don't know any stories." Kakashi said uncomfortably. "You…uh, just wait here." He said. He stood up and poked his head around the door, peering into the kitchen. "Aniline!" he hissed. The woman looked up from her spot at the table, where she was cleaning Sakura's cuts. She gave him a 'what do you want?' look and he frowned. "Help me!"

Aniline stood. "What is it?" she asked, more than a little annoyed.

Kakashi was embarrassed now. "Dai wants a story…" he started but trailed off at the look in Aniline's eyes. "…and I don't know any." He finished lamely.

"You called me out for that?" she demanded. Kakashi nodded. She whacked him atop the head. He rubbed the spot. "Go make something up." She ordered. Kakashi nodded, going back to Daisuke, who was sitting up again, though thankfully still under his covers.

"Story?" Daisuke asked again.

"Uh, yea, sure." Kakashi said, racking his brain for something. "Ookay…Once upon a time, in a village quite like this, there was a young boy." Kakashi's voice strengthened. He definitely knew this story. "Nobody loved the boy, he grew up alone. This boy, he wanted to be Hokage. Wanted to be best in the village. He wasn't good in school, but he tried. He made his way through training, until the day that he joined a three man team." Kakashi paused. Daisuke was listening eagerly, this was a story he had not yet heard.

"The boy and his two friends went on missions, solved problems, and beat a lot of tough challenges. In the end, he came out more than a boy. He became a man. He still wanted to be Hokage, but his friend, the person he loved most; she was in a lot of trouble. So, he gave up his dream, to help his friend."

Daisuke looked disappointed that this was the end of the story. "What next?" he asked. Kakashi sighed.

"Well, his friend got through her troubles, with his help, and now they live happily. The only thing wrong is that he needs to work so hard to protect his family."

"Who was he?" Daisuke asked. Kakashi smiled.

"He's your Dad, Dai."

"Oh."

Daisuke suddenly looked very tired, and Kakashi watched as the boy quickly drifted off to sleep. When the boy was fully gone, he stood, and turned to walk out the door.

"Isn't it a cop out to tell a story that everyone already knows?" Aniline asked, smirking. Kakashi let out a low chuckle, moving to stand close to her. Her breath hitched at his sudden nearness, but he pretended not to notice.

"I guess so," he said softly, running his fingers up her bare arms, watching the goose bumps appear. Aniline watched his hand, trying to slow the frantic beating of her heart.

"Stop…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Kakashi's fingers found their way to her neck, and then up to her face, where he cupped her cheek. "We shouldn't." Aniline reminded him.

"Why?" Kakashi asked, his voice husky.

"I'm married." Aniline reminded him. "I have a daughter."

As she spoke, her hands found their way to the hard muscles of his chest, and she gripped his shirt. She turned her face upwards, eyes shining. "Don't make me choose." She said quietly. Kakashi dropped his hand and stepped back.

His eyebrow cocked, he regarded the woman. "Don't pretend the choice isn't obvious." He said finally. "Your husband doesn't love you. You married him to please your father." Aniline gasped.

"How did you…"

"I have many ways of finding things out, Aniline." Kakashi said. "I know that this marriage is what saved your family, and that as soon as you have a son, your position is secure. Do not delude yourself in thinking that I don't understand."

"If you understood, you wouldn't be asking me this!" Aniline hissed. She moved close to Kakashi again, her fingers stroking the fabric of his mask. She wished he would take it off for her, just once.

"How can I not?" he responded. A small noise from Dai made them both step away, and Kakashi decided the discussion was over.

"Where is Sakura?" he asked, changing the subject.

Aniline cringed at the dismissal. "In bed, she was exhausted. I managed to get her to tell me what happened." Aniline sighed. "Naruto made her leave, with Dai. She feels horrible. She knows that there is a good chance that Naruto is dead."

Kakashi nodded. "Sasuke would not forgive Naruto for being here, with Sakura. If he is to live, he needs to be found soon." He paused, thinking. "I'll stay here, head out in the morning. Are you…heading home?" he asked tentatively.

Aniline shook her head. "I need to be here for Sakura," she lied. "I'll go fetch Sarah."

Kakashi nodded. "I'll prepare a bed for you," he said. "Sarah can stay here, with Dai. The bed is quite big for such a small person. I guess naruto went a little overboard, unsurprisingly."

Aniline nodded, leaving quietly. Kakashi sighed, running his fingers through his hair. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *


	10. A Shining Moment

With Aniline in the next room, snoring softly in a sleeping bag quite similar to his, Kakashi was having a hard time sleeping. He fancied he could smell her; she had been in the house enough. Her coconut shampoo, or something else to that effect. Point was, he couldn't sleep, and it was pissing him off.

He tossed and turned on the hard floor, he had decided that Aniline should be the one who shared a bed with Sakura. Aniline had declined to do so, and Sakura slept alone, Aniline on the floor beside her. Kakashi felt more free with the face mask gone, and his headband lying at his side. He knew that he would wake before the rest, keeping them from seeing his face. It was the one thing that stayed important to him. He did not with to show who he was to anybody. Even his headband came off only when he could not avoid it.

He felt, rather than heard the soft footsteps on the wood floor outside Daisuke's room, where he was staying. Aniline paused outside his door before walking towards the bathroom. Kakashi cursed under his breath. He wanted to go out there and convince that silly woman that she should not be married to that ass, and that she should be with him. He could not even explain why he was so drawn in by this woman. She was only mildly attractive, had a daughter, and spoke her mind just a tad too much. Or maybe that was why he liked her so much? She seemed to be to only villager why could actually talk to him, without being skittish or afraid.

He made his mind up quickly, crawling out of his sleeping bag. He walked over to his door quietly and opened it. He was surprised to see Aniline standing across the hall. She was obviously waiting for him. He closed his bedroom door behind himself, stepping out into the hallway fully.

"It's late," she whispered softly, her voice carrying through the dark. Kakashi nodded, his uncovered face cast in shadows. Aniline could make out the pale flesh of his jaw line and she ached to see more.

"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked finally, his voice taut. Seeing her now, here, right in front of him, in her flannel pajamas, had made self control much harder. Aniline shrugged.

"Big day tomorrow." She replied. "You've got Naruto to find, and I've got Sakura here…" she trailed off.

"Aniline," Kakashi started, but he was interrupted.

"If you die, I'm gonna kick your ass!" Aniline blurted out. After a moments hesitation she pounced on him, pressing her lips firmly against his. For a ninja from such a respected village, Kakashi did not respond well. He allowed himself to be pushed against the wall by the small woman, and his hands explored her freely. Obviously, self control was not the first thing on his mind.

"Oh, you stupid fool." Aniline whispered when they came up for air. Kakashi didn't know if she was talking to him, or to herself. Either way, he didn't care. She kissed him again, her lips soft, full, and the only thing in his world that he knew. She gripped his messy hair, her body flush against him. And then, suddenly, she was gone. Kakashi had only just registered this when he felt her hands again, roughly pulling his body, and shoving him into the kitchen.

He landed on the floor, Aniline close behind him. He was more than a little surprised by her boldness, and his new position. She was atop him now, her passion making her move quickly. She kissed Kakashi fiercely before tugging at the hem of his shirt. "Off," she ordered.

If Kakashi had thought to disobey, all thoughts of the kind flew from his mind when Aniline began grinding her hips into his as she waited. His black tee came off and Aniline admired the pale muscles of his chest in the dim light. She bent down, her tongue trailing along his exposed neck. Through the pleasure, Kakashi heard a voice of reason.

"Aniline," he said breathlessly, "Maybe we shouldn't…"

In his ear, Aniline responded, her breath hot. "For a solider, you think too damn much."

"Yes, but, your daughter…in the next room." He said, between gulps of air. The tiles of the kitchen floor were cold on his back, but he barely noticed them. He heard Aniline sigh in frustration.

She sat up. "You always gotta make things complicated, don't you?" she muttered. "Look, here's my plan. I'm gonna have sex with you, here, right now, and you're gonna like it. And if you get too loud, I'll hit you." Kakashi found he rather liked when Aniline took charge.

"Whatever you say," he responded, starting to unbutton Aniline's pajamas.

"Damn right, whatever I say,"

"You really are something, you know that?" Kakashi said, laughing.

"Shut up and screw me."

Kakashi couldn't remember an order he'd ever liked better. He removed Aniline's shirt, taking in the sight of her dark skin and full breasts. His mouth found her nipple and it quickly hardened at his attention. Aniline was still atop him and he rolled her suddenly, causing her to yelp in surprise. "You jerk!" she gasped, while Kakashi easily stripped her of the rest of her clothing.

He kissed her in response, his finders traveling her body, leaving trails of gooseflesh in their wake. She groaned softly as his hand brushed across the dense curls between her thighs. He did not linger, he instead stroked her inner thigh softly.

"Why am I the only naked person here?" she demanded, tugging at the dark pants that Kakashi still wore.

"So I don't get distracted," he explained patiently.

Aniline frowned. "A very important part of what we're about to do is in there," she reasoned. "If you don't whip it out, I hardly see how this will work."

"Be patient, we've got time." Kakashi said, his fingers finagling delving into her wet folds. He stroked her center softly, hearing Aniline let out a deep shuddering breath. His mouth found hers while his fingers still worked, swirling around the tight bundle of nerves, occasionally dipping inside her.

When his fingers first entered her, she moaned into his mouth. Her body wriggled beneath his. "Do they come off now?" she asked breathlessly when he moved to nibble her earlobe. He chuckled softly.

"They could," he said reasonably, "if you ask nice."

Aniline found the waist of his pants and tugged straight down, dislodging them from Kakashi's body. "Nice enough for you?" she asked.

"It'll have to do," he responded, kicking off the rest of the material. He kissed her mouth, his hand smoothing her dark hair away from her face. Dark eyes pierced him when he opened his eyes. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, her hand touching his bare face. His strong jaw, firm lips, and handsome nose. Her hand moved to his forearm, her fingers tightening around the muscle as he entered her.

She stretched to allow him entrance, her brows furrowing at the first thrust. She quickly grew used to him and moved to his rhythm. His fingers pinched at her nipples as he pushed into her, and she bit down on the flesh on his shoulder.

After his close attention to her body, she was close to orgasm, and her body was on fire. She knew that Kakashi was also nearing his peak. He was plunging into her harder, faster, causing her to moan.

"Oh god," she gasped before the dam inside her broke. Her muscles quivered, her body contracting around Kakashi. She shuddered in release, and Kakashi was not far behind. She felt him shiver inside her, felt his seed fill her. His sweaty face appeared from where it had been buried in her neck and he smirked shakily.

"I can't believe we just did that." He said.

"What?"

"I can't believe we just had sex on Sakura's kitchen floor." He repeated. Aniline laughed.

"I can't believe you just had sex on Sakura's kitchen floor either." A voice made them both look to the hallway, where Sakura stood, wrapped in a bathrobe. "You will never understand the trauma that seeing your ass has given me, Kakashi-sensei." Without another word, she walked back into her bedroom.

Kakashi looked down at Aniline, whose expression was one of a child caught in the act of stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. Kakashi was sure he looked the same. "Crap." He said finally.

"Yea," Aniline agreed. "Uh…clothes?"

Kakashi shook his head, grinning evilly. "Nope. You march your naked self back to my bed." Aniline scowled as she left and Kakashi could hear her muttering about big-headed ninjas who were too bossy for their own good. He pulled on his pants and followed her, entering Dai's room quietly. Aniline was settling herself down in the sleeping bag and Daisuke was snoring softly. Kakashi lay down with Aniline, letting her tuck himself around him.

Down the hall, Sakura lay awake in her bed, tears tracking down her face. She had awakened to a strange noise and upon investigation, found the unbelievably pale butt of Kakashi waving around her kitchen. She was not angry; she very much hoped that Aniline and Kakashi got together. But the sound of them together had made her think of Naruto, and now she couldn't stop crying.

She hoped that Kakashi would bring him back. She hoped desperately that Naruto was still alive. She hoped she wasn't alone again.

* * *

_Sorry if that was a filler chapter. I just really wanted Kakashi and Aniline to have their moment! Naruto-saving in the next chapter, I promise! _


	11. Bozo

* * *

Thoughts came slowly at first, tentatively forming. The first conscious thought he had was the image of Sakura racing away from him, Daisuke's mop of hair visible by her shoulder. Naruto would carry that to the grave. He knew he had told her to go, that her leaving was the safest thing, but he still couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by her willingness to go. 

He was nowhere close to waking; his subconscious still claimed the majority of him. The blow that was meant to kill him had left him unconscious in the wilderness, pulled into the recesses of Itatchi's cave. The Uchiha brothers were long gone; they thought Naruto dead and dealt with.

It was a long while before Naruto felt the wet stone against his cheek. It was another long moment before he realized it was slick with his own blood. If he'd had the strength to gag, that would have been his first reaction. Instead, he merely shut his eyes again. It barely made a difference, the darkness was smothering.

He could smell the sharp scent of his blood, his sweat. He could hear a faint rustling in the distance but ignored what it could mean. He did not care if a bear came in and ripped him apart right then, it would at least end the pain in his head.

A warm breath in his ear did catch his attention however. He doubted a bear would take the time to breathe on him. Naruto opened his eyes, and found himself staring at a ragged brown dog. The dog sniffed him again and licked the side of his face, before barking sharply.

Naruto groaned in response, he really wasn't keen on the noise. He made his first attempt at moving by pushing himself up, and leaning against the cave wall. The small dog barked again and Naruto waved his hand in his direction. "_Shh..._" he rasped out. The dog seemed to understand, he lay down started licking at his crotch. Naruto chuckled. If that was the dog's reply, well, that was fine.

Surprisingly, Naruto was exhausted. His eyelids were heavy, and he drifted back to sleep, his head a jumble of dreams.

* * *

"_Shh…shh…I'm here, I'm here…"_

_Her voice was soft and musical, and Naruto could feel her arms wrapped tightly against his torso. His body shook with sobs as he cried unabashedly. His control was lost; he did not try to regain it. "Gone…all of it…gone…" he mumbled and Sakura said nothing, she knew he was right._

_It was after his old apartment building had been target of an enemy bombing. The place where he had grown up was reduced to ashes, and Naruto found himself surprisingly affected. After seeing the body count of the attack, he had broken down in their tiny kitchen, to the dismay of Sakura. She hated when he was hurting._

"_I can see them…all of them…their faces…"_

"_I know…I know…" she soothed, letting her lover cry. She could hear her son call for her in the next room, but she made no move for him. Naruto needed her more._

* * *

Kakashi woke slowly, warm and comfortable. He felt a light weight at his side, hot and soothing. He looked over to see Aniline's dark hair spilling out over his chest, her breath fanning over his skin. She slept soundly, her face soft and untroubled. 

He untangled himself easily, looking over at Daisuke and Sarah, who were snoring softly in the large bed. He put his mask over his face and tied the headband down in its proper place. Still in his sweatpants, he moved into the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboards for some breakfast.

He found a bowl of apples in the fridge and threw a couple into his backpack, which sat on the kitchen table. "Are you going alone?"

Her voice was so soft that Kakashi could've easily convinced himself that he had imagined it. He turned to see Sakura leaning against the wall, looking weary.

"Yes," he replied.

"I want to help." Sakura insisted.

"Don't be ridiculous." Kakashi snapped. "You're dead on your feet."

"I can't just stay here!" Sakura protested, standing taller.

"I'm not putting you back into danger!" Kakashi blurted out, then turned away, breathing deeply to regain his control. "You need to stay here, so that when I bring Naruto back, his family is ready to welcome him. Or do you want this to all be a waste of time?"

"You know I don't." Sakura responded, sighing in defeat. "I just wish I could see him. So I could…know, you know? The worst is not knowing."

Kakashi nodded. "I get it." He said quietly. He lowered his eyes, turning back to face his pupil. "Sakura, I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize to me." Sakura interrupted. "You've got nothing to be sorry for."

"Well, I am." Kakashi snapped. He hated interruptions. Especially when he was trying to be nice. "I'm sorry…that I wasn't more…better. Understanding."

Sakura sighed. "Oh Sensei…if you were understanding, I'd have to send you to the hospital for an emergency surgery. It's just not your way."

"She's right." Aniline put in, coming out from Daisuke's room. "But, that's not my point. I'm taking Sarah home." To Sakura, she said: "You'll be okay here for the day?"

"Yea, of course." Sakura assured her. "Me and Dai will just bum around."

Aniline moved to stand next to Kakashi. Sakura left the room silently. Aniline trailed her fingers down Kakashi's mask. "I was hoping you would stop wearing that," she said softly. "but I realize that was foolish."

Kakashi didn't respond.

"You're leaving now, I know." Aniline said, after a long silence. "Come back alive, please?"

Kakashi nodded and Aniline's hand dropped to her side and she turned away, moving for Daisuke's room. "I would choose you, you know." She whispered. "I'd choose you a thousand times, if I could."

"Why can't you?" Kakashi demanded, speaking for the first time.

"You know why. I need a son. For my family."

"I could give you one."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Maybe I'm not!" Kakashi grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "Aniline, I could give your family the stability it needs! I'm not a high flying business man but I _am_ one of this village's most powerful ninjas. If anything, I outrank that son of a bitch!"

"I…I can't do this now." Aniline stuttered, pulling herself away. Nearly running, she feld into the hallway. She shut the door to Daisuke's room tightly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Kakashi sighed, pulling a black tee out of his backpack and slipping it over his head. He said goodbye to Sakura quietly when she appeared again, before leaving. He didn't linger in the village, instead heading for the place Sakura had described.

* * *

"And she was the prettiest girl, you know? And boy, she sure was smart! Could cut you to pieces with a few words, but that's why I liked her so much." Naruto's voice was quiet and hoarse, but he told his story anyway. The dog, which he had named Bozo, didn't seem to mind as he curled up against him. 

"She liked this dumb guy; you know the type, the ones who're all tortured and _'intense'_. Whatever. Anyway, after a while, he got to liking her too, for all the reasons listed above, I assume. And soon, it was all I could do not to kill the both of them, just to put myself out of some misery. I swear, I have never met two mushier teenagers. It was disgusting, in the worst way."

The dog made a small sound in the back of his throat, and Naruto took this as agreement. "I know! You shoulda been there, Bozo, you would've wanted to kill 'em too." The dog whined again and Naruto looked to mouth of the cave. The sun was rising; dawn light was filtering in slowly. He could see nothing, so had no idea what was bothering the dog. Naruto was feeling slightly drunk, but figured that had to do with the blood loss. He wasn't bleeding anymore, though his head throbbed terribly. He watched the light become brighter, too tired to continue talking to the dog, who snoozed quietly.

* * *

Kakashi cursed whichever Uchiha brother had thought of the idea of starting a landslide down the easy side of the cliff. Rocks were everywhere, small enough to make walking through them hard, and dodging the still falling ones impossible. His arms were scratched from the time when he had tripped and gone ass over head backwards for a couple metres. His hair was filthy from the gravel he had picked up during the fall. 

He was nearly at the top when he heard the low growling of an animal. Alert and on guard, he pulled out a kunai, though he didn't think he'd need it.

He crouched behind a large boulder when the growling became louder. Peeking around the edge, he laughed in relief. A small brown dog was challenging a brave squirrel for the right to the space around the mouth of a small cave. Kakashi stood and shooed the squirrel away. The dog seemed unafraid of him, so he squatted and pet the mutt.

Then, he noticed a small discoloring on the dog's muzzle. It was wet, and dark. Kakashi pulled his finger across it and stared in confusion as he looked at the blood. _It could just be animal blood_, he reasoned. _But it could also be the Naruto's. _He looked at the dog.

"Is there anyone else here?" he asked, not expecting an answer. The dog whined, but didn't move.

"Sensei, that better be you," a voice said from far away. Kakashi looked around, but couldn't find the source. "I don't think I could handle seeing Sasuke's ugly mug again."

* * *


	12. Inside A Memory

"Stop apologizing!" Sakura scolded, sitting across from Aniline, Daisuke in her lap. They sat in the small kitchen, cups of coffee left untouched before them.

"I just feel so guilty!" Aniline said. Sakura raised one pale eyebrow, a gesture for Aniline to explain. The older woman sighed. "Well, all this horrible stuff is happening. I mean, we don't know if Naruto is even alive…" Sakura made a small noise in the back of her throat, but after a moment, motioned for Aniline to continue. "…and all I can think is that I'm the happiest I've ever been."

Sakura smiled slightly, toying with Dasuke's mop of dark hair. He was entertaining himself with a small dinosaur at the moment, and was quiet. "And that's because of…Kakashi?" the young woman asked hesitantly. Aniline said nothing, but the content look in her eyes was answer enough. "Is he what you want?" Sakura asked. "I mean, are you willing to leave your husband for him?"

Aniline frowned, looking at her daughter, who was reading a picture book in the next room. "I would." She whispered. "I would travel through heaven and earth and beyond for him. He says…he wants a family, Sakura. He wants a life with me."

Sakura could tell that these words were the real cause of the excitement shining in Aniline's eyes. The promise of a life for Sarah, a proper family, with the chance of happiness. Aniline was a woman trapped in a sham of a marriage. She would cling to anything she could. Fortunately for her, Kakashi was serious. He would obviously do anything to save her from the mess she was in. Sakura just wondered how he had become so enamored with her neighbor in such a short time.

"I'm so happy for you." Sakura said sincerely. She looked down at her smiling son. "I only hope…" she trailed off, looking away. Aniline reached out, placing her hand gently atop Sakura's.

"I know." Aniline said soothingly. "I know." Sakura looked back at her, green eyes shining. She did not want to cry; her body was betraying her.

"I just…" Sakura groaned inwardly. _To hell with self control_, she thought. "I just don't wanna be alone again." Her voice broke and the first heaving sob wracked her body. Daisuke looked up at his mother, bright eyes worried.

"Mommy?"

Aniline moved, taking the boy and setting him down near Sarah. "Go play." She whispered. "I'll take care of mommy." Daisuke nodded, and turned away, sitting next to Sarah, and offering his dinosaur. The older woman looked back at the petite girl, Sakura was squeezing her eyes shut, trying to trap the tears in.

Aniline knelt down next to Sakura, who had pressed her fist to her mouth, trying to quiet herself. "Shh….shh…" Aniline soothed. "It's alright. It'll be okay."

"No, no," Sakura objected. "I can't…I'm not…" she turned her face away, moving as far from Aniline as she could in the hard kitchen chair. Aniline rubbed the girl's back, saying nothing.

"I can't…"Sakura said again.

"What?" Aniline prodded, her voice gentle.

"I'm not strong enough." Sakura said, a fresh wave of tears spilling onto her cheeks. "I can't lose him. If he dies…" She didn't finish her sentence, but Aniline didn't need her to.

"He's alive." Aniline said firmly. "He's alive. When he comes back, he'll apologize for making you worry like this." Sakura nodded blankly, her wet gaze upon Daisuke, who was sitting, playing with his dinosaur, watching the two women intently. He looked as if he were very close to crying. Sakura felt horrible. Not only had she ruined Aniline's happiness about Kakashi, she had made her own son miserable.

"Dai, honey, come here." She said gently, outstretching her arms. Aniline moved away, not sitting back down. She watched as Daisuke cautiously approached his mother, before throwing himself into her arms. She watched the young woman's eyes squeeze shut as she held her child, and Aniline knew her thoughts exactly then. She'd had the same thought many times.

"_Never. Never, will I give this up."_

* * *

He did not want to believe his luck. Only half a day in, and he had found his target. Kakashi approached the mouth of the cave, calling Naruto's name warily. 

"It's just me, Sensei. They've gone. You can get in here and _help_ me now."

Kakashi knew that tone. It was the voice Naruto used when he was in pain, but was too proud to admit it. Instead, he was just snappy at everyone around him. "I'm coming in." he called, before making his way carefully over the small ridge of loose rocks that surrounded the cave's mouth. Naruto grunted in reply. His head hurt too much to do any more. He had tried standing at least a dozen times, but the dizziness and nausea had become too much to bear. He had sat himself down, propped up against the driest wall, and waited.

He had not been sure what he was waiting for. For someone to come back, and finish him off, for someone to rescue him, or for himself to feel well enough to rescue himself. But here he was, dried blood along his neck and face, calling out to his teacher, and mumbling incoherently to the dog that had left. Naruto did not feel at his best.

* * *

Kakashi winced as an unnecessarily sharp stone jabbed his hand when he leaned onto the wall for support. "How far in are you?" he called, his patience wearing thin. He heard a giggle. Great. Naruto was delirious. That was going to make this so much more fun.

* * *

"_Ugh. What was his problem? Could he be anymore off base?" Sakura muttered to herself, taking Dai's hand and following him into the kitchen. He was looking excited, and quite pleased with himself. It was not everyday that he answered the door all by himself._

_Entering the kitchen, Sakura rolled her eyes at the visitor. She should have seen this coming. Sasuke sat at her table, more flowers in his hand. His face was earnest. It was odd. Sakura had never seen him in a situation where he didn't look completely in control. "What are you doing here?" she asked wearily. Sasuke smiled._

"_I wasn't kidding before. I wasn't trying to best anyone. I want this."_

"_This?"_

"_You. Daisuke. I want to have this family with you."_

"_Sasuke, you are three years too late for that." Sakura replied, turning away. She grabbed a toy from a shelf above her head, and handed it to Daisuke. He took it, sitting down nearby. He watched the grown-ups eagerly, staying silent. Sakura felt the air move behind her and could sense the warm body close to her. She turned carefully, suddenly boxed in by Sasuke. He looked livid._

"_You never gave me the chance to be a father." He hissed. Sakura shrunk away from him unconsciously. She wasn't going to admit it, but he was frightening her. "You never told me about him. Never. I have the right to my son." He paused, his face turning soft. His hand moved, and he stroked Sakura' hair. She wanted desperately for him to stop touching her, but she could make no noise. "I have a right to you."_

_Sakura tried to push him away, gently. "Please, Sasuke. This isn't easy for me. Please go." She whispered. She did not want to start an argument. She did not want Naruto to see her like this, so helpless. Sasuke shook his head._

"_We're going to do this." He said firmly. "We're going to try." Before Sakura could reply, his lips were firmly pressed to hers. She wanted to lose herself in his kiss. Forget her responsibilities, let the world around her melt away, forget. Forget about Naruto, and lose herself to Sasuke. And for a moment, she nearly did. His tongue traced the inside of her lip, and Sakura started to push forward._

_A sharp pain in her side jerked her back. She looked down. A small kunai, attached to Sasuke's hand, was sticking out from her abdomen. "Sasuke…"she whispered, looking up at his face. He looked apologetic._

"_I'm sorry." He said grimly. Suddenly, Sakura knew his plan. She wouldn't let him. She would never let him._

"_No!" she whispered. She had meant to shout, but the pain was leaving her winded. She tried again. _"No!" _Sasuke sighed. Then in one swift movement, he grabbed her and threw her sideways, sending her back into the kitchen table, before moving and scooping up Daisuke, who cried out in shock. He had been silent until then, too afraid to run for Daddy. _

_Sasuke took one look back, knowing he had little time. Sakura lay on the kitchen floor, amongst scattered and broken dishes, her eyes closed. Blood pooled around her abdomen. Sasuke ran. He did not want to face Naruto after this._

* * *

"Kakashi, you wonderful, wonderful man, help me up." Naruto was reaching for his teacher, who was rolling his eyes. Yes. It was exactly like dealing with a drunk. Kakashi pulled his student up, and helped him stumble out of the cave. "Whoo. Dizzy." The blonde said, shaking his head slightly. Kakashi looked up at the sky. 

"We have to get back. If we try, we can be back for supper." He said. Naruto mumbled something in reply. He seemed alright, Kakashi reasoned. The dizziness was probably due to a mild concussion. He would be fine. At least, he would live until Kakashi could bring him back to Sakura.


	13. Watching and Whispering

_I looked on my stats page, and I saw that I've gotten nearly sixty reviews! You guys really have no idea how amazing that is for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, your reviews, even just the small 'keep it up's, they're what motivates me to keep this going! (Well, them, and my intense need to make Naruto do everything I say….)_

_I know this chapter's got a lot of flashbacks, but they're a big part of this story. Trust me. So, I hope you like this one, and thanks again!_

_Aradeson _

* * *

The air was still, and all he could hear were the faint rustlings of the squirrels beneath him as he sat in his tree, uncomfortable. How things had turned out so bad, he didn't know. The light in the kitchen made it easier to see in through the small window, and Sasuke watched as Sakura busied herself and moved from one side of the room to the other. He had not seen his son; the boy was too short to clear the window and was therefore out of range. The older woman, to one who _wouldn't leave_, Sasuke had seen a lot of. As well as her four foot carbon copy. 

So he sat, waiting for nightfall, until he could sneak in, explain this whole thing, and whisk Sakura away. And if she protested the whisking, well, he'd do it anyway. Maybe he'd be a little less liberal with the stabbing. He could see it pained her still, and the bandages made her sweater bulky.

He didn't want to drift into memories; he used to be so good at blocking them out. But every time he caught a glimpse of Sakura's bright hair, or intense eyes, he would snap back to last place he had seen her, when they were happy. And he couldn't live with himself if he started thinking that she was that happy, with someone else. He sighed.

At that moment, Sakura turned, and for a second, for one terrifying second, her eyes landed directly on his. Sasuke stayed completely still, but she didn't scream, didn't say anything at all. He thought that she had seen him, but she moved away, doing something else. Sasuke let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding.

* * *

"_Do think we'll stay like this? Forever?" she asked quietly, leaning against him. Her body was soft, and warm. They lay on the grass, staring up at the clouds. Sasuke frowned, thinking._

"_I don't know." He answered truthfully. "I hope so."_

_He felt her tiny hand splayed against his chest, while her head rested on his shoulder. She was turned towards him, half atop him. "You're going away, aren't you?" she asked, her voice small. Sasuke did not trust himself to be sincere if he looked at her. _

"_I have too." He answered. Sakura sighed._

"_No." she replied simply. "You don't." She said nothing more, tapping on his chest with her fingers, to the beat of his heart._

* * *

"Just can't wait…" Naruto mumbled, leaning against Kakashi heavily. "…to be king…" Kakashi raised his eyebrows. 

"What the hell are you singing?" he grumbled. The drunken ninja act had been funny, for about five minutes. Now it was just annoying. He knew he should have more sympathy, but with Naruto, it just wasn't happening.

"I don't even know." Naruto answered, laughing. "I've got no idea!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. His estimate of making it home before dinner had been generous. They would be lucky to make it back before nightfall. Naruto was dizzy, wild, and throwing up every half hour. Kakashi figured that seeing a doctor as soon as possible would be best for the young man.

They were not being stealthy; Kakashi could only hope that the Uchiha brothers were not nearby in the forest. Any attack by them, and even the Copy Ninja was unsure if he could come out victorious. He dragged Naruto down the last stretch of the forest, before coming into the clearing before the village. He sat his student down. "Rest." He ordered, and Naruto nodded, staying silent. Kakashi's watched the surrounding forest, listening for any clue of danger.

* * *

"_It's all…all I can do, just to breathe…" Sakura gasped, clinging to Naruto. "I can't see, I can't hear. It's black. It's all gone. It means…nothing. All nothing." Naruto hugged her, saying nothing. They sat on a hill, the grass wet from rain. He could not convince her to leave, and he was definitely not willing to leave her alone._

"_I never…" Sakura choked back a sob. _I'm so weak_, she thought. _I can't even talk_. "I never told him…how could I? I'm horrible. I'm horrible."_

"_No, shh, Sakura, it's okay." Naruto promised, stroking her damp hair. "I'll take care of it. I'll take care of everything."_

"_I wish you weren't so understanding." Sakura sniffed, rubbing her nose on Naruto's shoulder._

"_What would you prefer?"_

"_I want you to hate me." She admitted. "Call me every horrible name you can think of. Tell me I'm a traitor, that I let you down." Her voice broke. "Tell me, 'cause I already know it's true."_

"_No." he told her firmly. "You shut up about that. You are, good, and beautiful, and truthful and I know you're really scared…but I'm here. You don't have to worry. I'm here."_

"_I don't know what I'd do without you." Sakura admitted, pulling him tighter. Inwardly, Naruto sighed. What was he getting himself into? Sakura loved Sasuke. No matter how much she depended on him, she would never love Naruto. Never give him a chance._

_But maybe, maybe this was his chance. His chance to show her that she was the only thing is his life that mattered._

* * *

She was watching the horizon, her hands twisting themselves in worry. She tried not to be obvious, but she knew that Aniline had noticed how her eyes strayed to the window every time she passed it, searching. Sakura knew the sun was setting soon, and did not expect Kakashi to continue through the night. And maybe it was too much to hope, that they would be back in one day. Hell, for all they knew, Naruto was dead. 

The thought made Sakura let out a crazed half laugh. She wasn't ready to think of that option. Not yet. Not ever. So, she looked out the window at every opportunity, noting how the sun sunk slowly, and still, she saw no one.

* * *

_He had kissed her, in that dark forest. He had kissed her, roughly, teeth nipping at her lips. He had poured every hard emotion into her, lips moving with frenzied, intense feeling. Sakura had been helpless to such a kiss. Maybe, if she held on tight enough, he would stay. She could prove that they were good for each other. Perfect, even. _

_Then, abruptly, he was gone. He had pushed himself away, an unnameable emotion stirring in his eyes. They were dark pools, expressing everything and telling nothing. "Sasuke…" she had whispered. He turned away. There was nothing more to say._

* * *

"We're close. Do you want to stop for the night, or keep going?" 

Naruto paused, thinking. He was feeling better. Kakashi was still helping him walk, but the dizziness was better, and he hadn't thrown up for over an hour. Clenching his teeth against a sudden burst of pain in his head, stopping or starting motion did that, Naruto weighed his options. His reunion would be nicer when he was feeling better, but he wanted to see Sakura so badly. He knew Sasuke wasn't gone, and didn't want to leave her vulnerable, not so soon after she had woken up. "We'll keep going." He said finally, and Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He was desperate to see Aniline, but wasn't going to admit that to the other man.

He nodded in response, helping Naruto start moving again. They were near the village gates, only about half an hour more to walk, and once they got there, they could ask for assistance getting to Sakura's.

* * *

The tree was becoming uncomfortable. In a big way. Sasuke had been there all day, and was beginning to enjoy it much less. He was still watching Sakura, and could tell she was getting more and more agitated as the evening went on. He wondered what she was waiting for. Kakashi, probably. Sasuke knew that Itachi had killed Naruto, but that wouldn't stop Sakura from sending their Sensei out to look. He hadn't seen the silver-haired Copy Ninja all day. The other woman, she was also not as calm as before. Sasuke had no idea why she was getting antsy. He just wished she would leave again.

She had left, an hour earlier, and Sasuke had nearly jumped with relief. Until he saw where she went. Not fifty metres away, in a house across the street. And she was gone for less than ten minutes. She had gone into to her house, there was a bunch of shouting, and then had come back to Sakura's small home with a duffel bag swinging on her arm. Her face had been red and blotchy, and Sasuke didn't need to be a genius to figure out what had happened. They were loud enough anyway. She had picked a fight with her husband. Not a smart move, in Sasuke's opinion, but he didn't care either way.

* * *

"_Whore!" he had screeched, upon her entrance. "Filthy slut! I let you into my home, and this is how you replay me?" his fist came down hard on her face, and Aniline cried out in pain and surprise. She fell back roughly, bumping into a chair. Her hand went to her face, where she knew a bruise was forming.  
_

"_What?" she choked out, before he pushed her roughly, sending her stumbling against the wall._

"_It's all over town, filth," he spat at her. His face, which she had grown to admire for its gentle strength, was twisted in an angry sneer. "I know what you did. Everybody knows." Aniline said nothing, her face stinging and her eyes wide with fear. It was impossible. How could he know? All she had wanted were some clothes for Sarah…_

"_James," Aniline said quietly, stepping forward slowly. "What are you talking about?" Yes, play it dumb, that was the smartest move. Maybe he's just suspicious…maybe it's nothing._

"_Don't you say my name!" he roared, looking ready to hit her again. Aniline could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath and knew she needed to get out fast, unless she wanted serious pain. _

"_I just came for some things for Sarah." Aniline said slowly, staying completely still. "She needs some clothes. We're staying over until Kakashi brings Naruto home."_

"_Kakashi? That's his name, eh?" James said, standing straighter. "Your new boyfriend, huh? You like him so much to fuck him on the kitchen floor?" he sneered, and Aniline's heart stopped beating._

"_What…" she breathed. She couldn't move, immobilized by shock. _How did he know?_ "How…"_

_James laughed harshly. "I'm a rich man, sweetheart. You think I don't know about every thing you do, every thing you say?" _

_Aniline didn't want to cry, but could feel the first tears of shame and anger threaten to spill. "I have to get back." She whispered._

_James nodded, taking a swig from a nearby can. "You tell Sarah that Daddy'll be over real soon to pick her up," he said nastily. Aniline looked down at the kitchen floor, saying nothing. She turned, and moved into Sarah's room, trying to move as quickly as possible, packing all her clothes. If James thought he could take Sarah from her, well, he was sorely mistaken. She would keep him away, and when Kakashi came back…_

_She fingered the red mark on her cheek. Yes, Kakashi would definitely do something._

* * *

"Is that the gate?" Naruto asked wearily. He was walking by himself, a little behind Kakashi. His teacher squinted, then nodded. 

"That's it." He confirmed. Naruto looked like he wanted to run, but decided against it. He settled to moving into a power walk that Kakashi thought made him look like an offended duck. He kept this opinion to himself.

They made good time. Soon, the speck on the horizon became a dot, and finally, an actual shape. They were so close to home that Naruto thought he could hear Sakura's voice, Daisuke's laughter. "Come on!" he urged Kakashi, who obliged, smiling to himself. He also had a reason to want to be home. The thought of Aniline was enough to push him into a run, but he quelled the impulse. It would not do to break Naruto so soon after finding him.

The gate came closer and closer, and finally, Kakashi heard the voice of the watchman. "Hey down there! Is that you, Kakashi?" Kakashi waved a confirmation and the young ninja jumped up to open the doors. "Just gimmie a sec!" he called down, and Kakashi nodded, more to himself then anyone else.

Naruto was nearly hopping with excitement. The doors were opening too slowly in his opinion. He wanted to be home. Now.

"Alright! Head on through!"

Kakashi and Naruto moved quickly through the gates, navigating their way easily through the quiet market. The sun had nearly set, and a pale orange light had settled over everything. "Nearly there, nearly there…" Naruto said quietly to himself. Kakashi chuckled.

"We'll be there soon. Calm down. They'll be there when we get there." He promised.

* * *


	14. Off The Edge

"Is that…" Sakura peered closer at the dark figure down the road. It was either a really intense smudge on her window, or it was someone, or to be more accurate, two someones, walking closer. "Aniline!" Sakura cried, unable to keep herself contained. "They're home! He's home!"

She couldn't contain herself any longer. As Aniline came up behind her, Sakura turned away from the window and moving to the door, ripped it open. She dashed into the street, towards the two men who were coming ever closer. It _was_ them. Sakura could recognize Kakashi's hair from a mile away. "Naruto!" Sakura cried, running towards him. "_Naruto_!" She didn't think about the neighbors peering curiously through their windows, she only thought about the man moving slowly towards her. He was all that mattered.

He looked up, hearing her for the first time. "Sakura?" he asked aloud. Her pink hair was blown in front of her face, and he was sure that she couldn't see a thing, but she was running towards him. She was getting closer, and closer, and closer until…

"Oomph!"

The collision nearly knocked him over, but he was kept steady by the person tightly hugging him. Her arms were wrapped securely around his middle, her face was buried in the crook of his neck. Her breath was coming out hard and shaky, and it took Naruto a moment to figure out that she was laughing, crying and speaking. He held her tightly as well, saying nothing. He looked over her shoulder at his house and saw Aniline standing on the sidewalk, Daisuke and Sarah next to her. He caught sight of Kakashi moving towards her, and thought that was odd. He didn't really think long on it, for he was too busy with other things.

"Naruto," Sakura said again. "Oh, you stupid wonderful idiotic great dumbass!" she laughed. "I love you. I love you_. I knew you weren't dead._ I knew. I love you. I love you." She pulled away, beaming. Her smile stretched across her face, and Naruto could see the tears leaking from her eyes.

Naruto pulled her close again, kissing her fiercely. "I'm so glad you're safe," he said softly, looking into her eyes.They were clear and looked into his with an intensity that moved him. He had missed her, so much.

"God…I thought…" she laughed. "Oh, never mind. You're home now. It's okay." They stood there, in the middle of the street, for a long while, oblivious to the reunion going on behind them.

* * *

"Kakashi." Aniline whispered quietly, before pulling him into a demanding hug. The tall man frowned, stroking her hair. After a few moments, he pushed her away, peering down at her.

"What happened?" he asked, knowing by the look on her face that something was up. Aniline grimaced and pulled back her hair. A large bruise was forming, obviously fresh. Kakashi hissed in sympathy and felt a sudden flaring rage.

"James." Aniline said. "He knows about…us. He said…" she looked away. "He said he was going to take Sarah away." Kakashi shook his head

"You know I won't let that happen. I'll kill him for what he did. I will."

Aniline smiled, before a devious look came into her eyes. She reached up, stroking Kakashi's cheek, and then suddenly, jerked his mask down, exposing his face. Before he could register any shock, her mouth was attached to his, and she had fastened her hands in his messy hair. He responded as best he could. He pulled her hips closer, molding her body to his, while his lips left their mark on hers. He traced her lip with his tongue, before exploring her mouth. She made a small noise of contentment, and his hand traveled up to settle in her hair, keeping her close.

* * *

"Naruto." Sakura said softly. She was content to whisper his name for eternity. She had rested her head on his shoulder and they stood together, in the middle of the street. "Daisuke really missed you." 

Naruto sighed. "Yea," he said. "I missed him too. I'm sorry I couldn't get him out myself…before. I'm sorry that you had to be there." He took Sakura's hand and untangled himself, moving to walk towards Daisuke. He looked, and then started laughing. Daisuke and Sarah were standing behind Aniline, watching her with Kakashi, eyebrows raised. They both looked utterly confused, and a tad disgusted by the two adults. Naruto could relate.

"Uh, Sakura…" he said, and she looked at what he was pointing to. She started laughing as well, before walking towards her son, tugging Naruto along.

"Yea, they do that." She said, smiling. "It's a long story that ends with me telling you that no matter how hard you beg, we are never having sex on the kitchen floor again. Ever."

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Do I want to know why?" he asked.

"No."

They walked, hand in hand, until they were close behind Kakashi. They went unnoticed until Naruto coughed, and the couple before them broke off abruptly. Kakashi pulled his mask back on, effectively covering the blush that was spreading over his face. His headband was dangling in Aniline's hand, and Kakashi held his hand out for it. She stuck her tongue out at him, sticking the accessory in her back pocket. Kakashi tried to scowl, but found he was in too good a mood anyway. He just grinned, his mismatched eyes twinkling.

Daisuke had caught sight of Naruto, now that Aniline's spectacle was over, and his face lit up. "Daddy!" he cried, his chubby legs moving as fast as they could. Naruto knelt down, scooping his son up in a hug. He twirled the boy.

"Hey, buddy," he said softly. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, dad." Daisuke said. "Where'd you go?"

"I was living in a cave." Naruto whispered. "Don't tell mom." Daisuke's eyes got wide.

"Really?" he asked, awed.

"Really." Naruto confirmed. "There was even a ferocious beast!" he tried not to laugh as he thought of Bozo, the resident beast of the cave. He had thought of bringing the dog back, but it had disappeared soon after Kakashi's arrival.

He looked at Sakura, who was watching them fondly, and smiled at her. She offered her hand and he took it, holding Daisuke up with his other arm. He followed her inside the house. "I'm so glad you're home." She said again. Kakashi and Aniline entered soon after, holding hands, and talking with Sarah.

It was perfect.

And asking for an intense asskicking at the hands of any devious person who happened to be around.

* * *

"_Do you want to do this?" he asked her, his face intense, eyes shining. He held both her hands, and they stood, atop a small cliff, water crashing into the bottom. "Kids do it all this time, but it's not safe…"_

"_I want to." She assured him. "As long as you're doing it too, I will."_

_Naruto nodded. He looked down at the beach, where Kakashi and Sasuke were talking. "This is really gonna freak them out." He said eagerly. Sakura grinned._

"_I know."_

"_Now," he said, face turning serious. "Don't let go of me. Even once we hit the water. Try to hang on for as long as possible."_

"_I promise."_

"_Okay. Are you ready?"_

_Sakura nodded, taking one of her hands out of his. They stood, close to the edge, their arms out stretched, spread out like wings._

"1,"

_Sakura got ready to run._

"2,"

_She pushed the last bit of hair from her face with her free hand._

"3!"

_She took off running, Naruto beside her, his hand wrapped tightly in hers. They ran for the edge, and screamed as they leapt over the rim. Sakura was laughing, and screaming and the air was whipping and loud, and Naruto was pulling on her arm, but she wouldn't let go, she had promised to hold on, and as the water got closer, Sakura shut her eyes, waiting for the impact._

* * *

"I made you some dinner, but I stuck it in the fridge." Sakura said. "I was hoping you'd be home tonight. I made some for you too, Kakashi-sensei." 

Sakura stuck the two plates in the oven. "They'll be heated in about five minutes." She said, looking around her kitchen. Naruto sat with Daisuke on his lap, while Aniline and Kakashi sat next to each other. They were holding hands underneath the table, trying to be sneaky. Sakura rolled her eyes. _Amateurs_. She thought. _I could tell them a thing or two about keeping something secret._

Her eyes locked with Naruto's and Sakura inwardly sighed in contentment. It had been a long time since she had been this happy. Every thing was going perfectly. She couldn't believe how happy she was to have Naruto back home. _I guess you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone._

* * *

_The water was dark, and colder than expected. The waves pushed and pulled her, and her arm was aching from Naruto tugging on it, but she wouldn't let go. She felt herself floating and cried in triumph as she hit the surface. Naruto was next to her, also laughing with glee. He was saying something, but the water was so loud, she couldn't hear. He pointed over her shoulder and she turned in the water, to look at the beach. Sasuke and Kakashi were standing at the water's edge, looking horrified. Naruto started swimming for shore, and Sakura followed, her arm still attached to his._

"_Are you completely stupid?" Sasuke bellowed as soon as she stumbled onto sand. She had yet to detach herself from Naruto, but hhe let go of her at the glare he received from Sasuke. Naruto laughed it off, walking past her and shaking water everywhere, earning a cuff atop the head from Kakashi. He was escorted silently away from the arguing couple, but not without some squawks of protest._

_Sasuke was pacing, his expression livid. Sakura had never seen him so not in control of his emotions. "Have you lost your mind?" he finally asked, his voice carefully controlled._

"_Oh, calm down, Sasuke." Sakura said impatiently. "It was just a stupid joke."_

"_You just jumped off a cliff!__"__he cried in reply, pacing again. _"_Is there something that I'm missing? A cliff, Sakura! A cliff!__"__ He whirled away, muttering angrily. He turned back to her. "Why the hell did you do that?"_

"_Naruto thought it would be fun. And it was. And I'm fine. So it's okay." Sakura responded moodily. She hated when Sasuke got all possesive. It used to make her feel loved, now it was just making her feel trapped and scolded.  
_

"_Oh. Naruto said. Everything makes sense now." Sasuke said sarcastically. "Because, I mean, if Naruto said it, it has to be smart, right?"_

"_Grow up!" Sakura snapped. She was losing her patience and could feel her temper flaring. She did not appreciate being treated like a child by her own boyfriend._

* * *

"This is really good, Sakura." Naruto said, his mouth full. Kakashi nodded as well. Sakura was just sitting in silence. She was very surprised that Kakashi was eating in front of them His mask was off, his headband was gone, and his hair flopped messily in each direction. Sakura figured it was Aniline's influence that made him so comfortable, but whatever it was, she was glad that he was happy. 

She watched Aniline's daughter, Sarah, who was playing with Daisuke. She couldn't help her matchmaker mind from pairing them up in the future. She was occupied with the wedding's seating charts when Naruto pulled her from the daydream.

"Sakura, are you alright? You look like you're plotting something." Naruto said suspiciously. As the butt of most of Sakura's plots, it was an important survival tactic to know the warning signs.

"Oh, I'm fine. And no plots. I promise."

* * *

"_When she's your girlfriend, you can jump off all the cliffs you like. Until then, don't go getting her in trouble." Sasuke said viscously to the heap on the ground before him. Naruto spat blood from his mouth, attempting a grin._

"_You're the only one she's in trouble with, Uchiha."_

"_That was the dumbest thing you two have tried." Sasuke repeated, turning to walk away. He was nearly gone when he heard Naruto._

"When_ she's my girlfriend? Not _if_? You going somewhere?" the blonde called, and Sasuke growled in annoyance, before continuing on his way out. He was not in the mood to take about his future plans._

* * *

Sasuke watched the scene, hating himself for being envious. So, Kakashi and Naruto were back. That didn't change the plan. It made the plan nearly impossible, but there was one great thing about solo missions: 

You can always change the plan.

* * *


	15. That's Something, Right?

It was silent. The silence was worrying. Forests are never truly quiet, but as Sasuke sat, half crouched in the underbrush, he could hear nothing. No rustling, no breeze swishing through the trees, just the quiet murmurs coming from the house not twenty meters away. From the windows came the muted light, diffused by the thick curtains. Sasuke watched as the fours shadows crossed the room, talking with each other. He could hear their voices, but couldn't make out any exact words. If the window had been open, he might have heard more, but it stayed firmly shut.

Sasuke had only just figured out which shadow belonged to each of his former teammates. Naruto was the shortest, and he moved around the most. Sakura was the slim figure that was firmly attached to Naruto's side. She had not left him alone all evening. Kakashi was the tall, serene one who spoke most. The neighbor woman was in Daisuke's room, Sasuke knew he wouldn't catch the boy alone anytime soon. He cursed himself for not grabbing his son or Sakura earlier. Now that Naruto was home, Sasuke's carefully laid out and heavily funded transportation plan meant almost nothing. Carting two unconscious people was much harder when being followed by a vengeful boyfriend. This tiny flaw in his plan was what had kept Sasuke from throwing himself though that closed window and taking Sakura by force. Instead, he kept his trained eyes on Daisuke's room, waiting for the moment when he would be left alone.

Unbeknownst to Sasuke, the four adults inside the house had no intention of doing anything of the sort.

* * *

"Is he still out there?" Her whisper was anxious, frantic, and her face scrunched with worry when Naruto nodded tersely in reply. Kakashi watched as she tugged at her fingers impatiently. Her eyes kept darting at the closed bedroom door. After a few minutes it became too much and the silver haired man sighed, before speaking. 

"Sakura," he said. "It's fine. He's fine. If Sasuke tries anything, we'll know. Trust me. Sasuke is too smart to try anything now."

* * *

'_Do you ever get those moments, those sickening moments, when you know that you've just slapped Fate across the face, and that's She's pissed as all Hell? Well, for me, this was one of those moments.'_

* * *

The first thing she felt was the deep rumbling that spread from her feet through her whole body. Right away, Sakura knew something was wrong. She looked at Naruto, who was already looking around for the source of the increasing noise and shaking. It was nothing really, if one was used to earthquakes, but Sakura knew that this was no ordinary earthquake. The noise was rising in crescendo and Sakura tried to move toward Daisuke's room. Long seconds passed as she crossed the room. All at once, movements felt like lighting and like moving through molasses. Sakura longed to move faster. As she reached the closed door, if flung open by itself. 

Naruto would have been close behind his lover, had he not been caught in the eyes of the Mangekyo Sharingan. He tried to cry out, to call on Kakashi to save him, but aid from his Sensei never came. Naruto felt as if he was falling, and knew he was being put under the spell of the Mangekyo. He tried to struggle, but knew all was lost when he landed with a thud on a dark wooden floor. He looked around, ready to fight, but he was alone, in an unfamiliar place.

"Sakura!" he cried out, knowing that while he was stuck with Itachi, she was facing an unknown danger.

* * *

"Do you wish to see?" the voice came from nowhere, and everywhere The deep murmur rumbled through his bones and Naruto had the hardest time convincing himself it was all in his mind. "Do you wish to see what we've done to that whore my brother won't leave alone?" 

Naruto snarled, the feral sound surprising himself. The thought of Sakura being hurt by the Uchiha made him want to tear through the dark haired men like paper.

"She screamed…" the voice hissed delightedly. "Begged for mercy…asked for death…" Naruto fought to stand, but an oppressive force kept him down. He looked all around, trying to find the source of the horrible words.

Itachi was nowhere to be found.

* * *

'_Those moments, when you know exactly what's going to happen next, I hate those as well. When you reach for the doorknob, and already, the door opens, as if it was waiting for you. And what it opens to is the most gruesome scene from your worst nightmare. And you tell yourself: it's all fake, this isn't happening. But it's real. It's so fucking real. As I saw him, crouched over the body of my crying son, it was pretty damn real._

_I hate those moments.'_

* * *

"Shh…" he crooned, looking down at the cringing toddler. The neighbor woman lay dazed on the floor, slumped against the wall, where blood from her lip was splattered. Sasuke looked up as the door swung open, and the pale face of Sakura stared at him. As his hands closed around Daisuke, her face changed from one of terror to one of livid rage. She was ready to kill him right there, Sasuke could tell. Sasuke reached behind his back, pulling a small bag from his pouch. He flung the small bag at the pink haired woman, yelling a command as it soared through the room. He clenched his eyes shut as the blinding flash filled the room, and he heard Sakura hit the floor heavily. He winced at the noise. He knew she was still hurt. 

Itachi was taking care of Naruto and Kakashi, so Sasuke moved efficiently, not rushing. He could hear murmured protests from the woman in the corner. He was surprised she was still awake, she looked half dead. Daisuke was unconscious; the flash bomb had done the trick. Sakura was barely conscious; her half opened eyes looked at him hopelessly, as if condemning him.

He pulled her up, over his shoulder. She hung across him easily and Sasuke took Daisuke in his other arm. He didn't bother with the window, he instead walked into the next room where his brother stood, eyes locked with Naruto. Immediately, Sasuke's eyes swept the floor, finding the source of all the blood splashed across the cabinets.

Kakashi lay, kunai in his shoulder, his eyes glassy and unseeing. He still breathed, and Sasuke sighed an unconscious sigh of relief. Among other things, he did not want the weight of his Sensei's death on him. He looked at his brother.

"Brother. We're going." Sasuke said sharply. He did not envy Naruto right now. Itachi was very fond of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and used it as much as he could.

"No." Itachi didn't break eye contact with Naruto. "I'll be just a little longer." His voice was cool, nearly icy, but Sasuke could tell that the older man was pleased. He knew better than to argue, so he said nothing, taking Sasuke and Daisuke out the front door.

* * *

He could see it, see it all. How they used her, tore through her body, again, and again, made her beg for a quick death. Tears had longs stopped running down his cheeks; he was out of salt to spill. Naruto lay on the ground, the scene before him crippling his any reaction. His face was twisted in an anguished grimace. 

"Sakura, _no_, please…" he whispered, his voice husky.

"She can't hear you…" the voice said again. Naruto tried to block him out. "It's too late for her. She'll cooperate, or she'll die. She knows that we'll kill the boy too…"

"No!"

His disgust at the idea of Daisuke's death caused Naruto's voice to rise unexpectedly. What was expected to be a croak came out a scream. Naruto tried to stand, tried to move to help the image Sakura, who was struggling against Sasuke.

"It's no use!" Itachi snarled in his mind. "Give up. There's nothing left for you. She's gone. Your son: gone. All that you once loved in them has shriveled and died."

A stream on determination sped through Naruto's body. He fought against the cruel weight on his shoulders, finally shuddering to a stand. He looked on at the wavering image before him. He could tell Itachi was starting to lose power; the Mangekyo used a lot of chakra. "No." he said firmly. "No!" he said again, louder. "I won't give up! I won't let them die! This will never happen to them!"

Feeling the heat rush through his veins, Naruto knew that it was only a matter of time before Kyuubi made an appearance. His temper was flaring; soon, he would loose control.

"I will not let you hurt them!" he said again, teeth clenching. The room around him wavered as his chakra began to rise. He could see the walls of his kitchen slightly through the dark images before him. The room around him was fading rapidly, and now, Naruto could see Itachi where Sasuke and Sakura had been.

Itachi looked dazed, and shook his head, effectively breaking the last of the illusion. Naruto growled. "Itachi!" He moved forward one step before the wind was knocked from him. He fell to the ground, exhausted. He could not even stand. He watched Itachi stare at him in amazement. The cloaked man backed out of the house silently, his eyes, now a slate grey, never leaving his. Naruto had the urge to laugh. He felt a vindictive pleasure in knowing that he had worn Itachi out so thoroughly that even the Sharingan was too much for him.

* * *

'_When I turned fourteen, Naruto and I decided that my birthday present to myself would be a line of pranks on our teammates. To Kakashi, we put green dye in his shampoo, which took forever, because he always seemed to know where we were. And Sasuke, well, we paid __Konohamaru to follow him around and annoy him for a week. The poor kid didn't last more than three days before Sasuke knocked him unconscious. _

_Anyway, my point is that no matter how close me and Sasuke got, no matter how much I loved him, Naruto was my best friend. He was the guy I was myself most around. With him, the voice that lives inside my head was the voice that actually came out. I felt more at home with him just eating junk food in my basement than I ever did when me and Sasuke made love._

_So, that's something, right?'_


	16. We Could Have Been Something Beautiful

Besides being worried out of her mind, Sakura was a little exasperated. Honestly, how much longer would this go on? There was no possible way for both sides to win. Sakura knew that Sasuke wanted to one-up Naruto, as well as keep his son. And she also knew that Naruto would never let that happen.

So, how was she supposed to live, with all this drama and violence going back and forth between the two men she loved? She had seen what had become of her peaceful home, due to the Uchiha. Half-awake, she had seen Kakashi, a bloody mess on her kitchen floor. That was what had confused her most. How had Itachi gotten the best of the Copy Ninja so quickly? It seemed unthinkable. And Naruto, standing stock-still, staring into nothing. She hoped he was alright. There was no telling what Itachi was showing him.

Sakura fought at the rope binding her hands, but they held her firmly. She glanced across the wagon at Sasuke, who held Daisuke. If he had looked up just then, he would have seen the daggers being shot at him by Sakura's eyes. Instead, he sat, in the covered wagon, a sleeping Daisuke in his lap, studying the boy.

"He's beautiful," Sasuke said suddenly, surprising Sakura. She had to keep herself from melting. She looked at her son, who was snoring softly, his pale skin even paler in the moonlight.

"Yes," Sakura agreed. Sasuke looked up at her, his eyes full of awe and wonder.

"I've never really thought about it before," he said quietly. "But, this is my son. He's ours…we…we made him. He belongs to us." He smiled at the sleeping boy. Sakura frowned.

"He's mine." She corrected softly. Sasuke shook his head, not unkindly.

"Sakura," Shivers ran through her body when he said her name. She wondered if that would ever change. Maybe, when she was forty, he would say her name, and that same feeling would move through her. It didn't mean anything, she reasoned. "No matter what, this is my son. No matter if you love Naruto, or if Naruto loves Daisuke, or if you and Naruto had another kid. This one, he's mine. Naruto doesn't have a claim to him."

Sakura knew he was right. She knew that no amount of wishing could change DNA. She knew that nothing she did would change anything already done. She also knew that she would never tell Sasuke that he was right. Instead, she stubbornly kept on it. "Naruto has more of a claim than you think."

Sasuke, not really listening, moved some hair away from Dai's face. "How's that?" he asked, absent-mindedly.

"He's Daisuke's father. Dai's never known anybody else."

"There's still time for us to start over." Sasuke whispered earnestly. He looked up at Itachi, who was directing the one horse pulling the wagon. "We're going back to the base. We can live there, together. I know we can make this work."

Sakura scoffed, disbelieving. "Make it work? Are you drunk? After everything…everything you've done? To me, to Naruto? There's nothing left with us. We're over. So over."

"You don't mean that." Sasuke said, his voice hardening. "I know you still feel…something. For me. I know you do. I can tell, when you look at me."

If Sakura could have slapped him then, she would have. It was a pity her hands were bound, else she would've launched herself at him. The nerve that Sasuke had! Thinking he could understand her feelings! "The only thing I feel for you is revulsion." Sakura hissed icily. "When you first came back, when I saw you at the market, I felt something. I felt something, right until the minute you stabbed me in the gut!"

Sasuke sighed. "You don't always have to be so difficult, Sakura." She said nothing, just glared at him, and he looked away, back at his son. The rush of emotions through him was dizzying. He had never felt anything like it. Sakura had been the first person he had cared for, besides himself, but that concern was eclipsed by the way he felt for the small boy on his lap. Sasuke tried to memorize Daisuke's face, and found that each feature brought a memory. His high forehead gave reminders of Sakura's old insecurity, and his small nose reminded Sasuke of his mother.

The eyes, when opened, were slate grey, like Itachi's, like Sasuke's. Like every other Uchiha in their history. But the long fingers, they were not his. Sakura, also, did not have such graceful looking hands. Her hands were small and dainty; Sasuke's were large and powerful. These seemed to be a combination of the two, or perhaps someone in Sakura's family was a dancer. In any case, they were one thing that belonged to Daisuke only.

As he examined his son's face, he found an odd, semi-circle scar along is chubby jaw line. He looked at Sakura and saw that she was watching him, wide-eyed. "What's that from?" he asked casually, pointing out the pale line. Sakura shrugged, trying to look casual as well.

In reality, she looked tense and unsure. "A fan."

"A fan? How do you cut yourself on a fan?"

"We got it, in the baby shower. It was a paper fan. When we opened it, it turned out to be a small _shukusen. _The blade on the end nicked his face. We never figured out who sent it."

"Who would send a gift like that?" Sasuke asked, frowning.

Sakura sighed, itching to reach out to her son, to stroke the pale scar that decorated his skin, to find comfort in knowing he was safe with her. Bound as she was, it was impossible. "We figured, Naruto and I, that the person who sent it meant it to be a warning. That they knew who Daisuke was. They sent the war fan to the Uchiha heir, to warn us. Of what, I'm still not sure."

Sasuke took this in, Glancing up at his brother. Itachi had his head cocked slightly, listening to Sakura. He was still watching the road, but he was very interested in this mystery. After three years with his brother, Sasuke could tell when something made Itachi curious. "Did you talk to Kakashi about it?" he asked, slightly worried. A warning sent to his son, it was something he wasn't too pleased about.

"Of course not!" Sakura said harshly. Sasuke looked up at her in surprise, startled by the change in tone. Her voice softened in understanding. "Sorry." She said quiet now. "I forget that you don't know. Nobody knew that he was yours. I didn't tell anyone besides Naruto." Sasuke frowned, unbidden fury rising up within him. This anger was cut off by Sakura's small laugh. "But, how they couldn't tell, I can't guess. I mean, everyone just accepted that he was Naruto's. I mean, look at him, Sasuke. Really, look at him."

Sasuke did, his anger fully depleted as he took in the image of Daisuke once again. "I mean, how could he be anything but a Uchiha? He even has the glare, when he wants to. It's uncanny, how he looks like you." she smiled to herself. "Snores like you do, too."

A voice startled her from her calm. It took her a moment to figure out where it was coming from. "It is most likely that your little friends wished to believe what you told them, to make things easiest on their collective conscious." Itachi said, his voice low and cool. Sakura couldn't remember the last time she had heard him speak, but knew that it had been a while, if ever.

She pondered on his words, until Sasuke's snort of amusement and bitterness made her look at him again. He looked pained and guilty, and more than a bit angry. "Yes, because knowing that one of their beloved kunoichi was carrying the baby of their newest missing-nin was probably too much to handle. To accept that it was Naruto's, their new pride and joy, that was probably much easier." He shook his head again. Sakura only smiled, unsympathetic.

"It wouldn't have gone like that if you hadn't left."

"We've had this conversation." Sasuke said shortly. "You think that you're right, I _know _that I am, so why don't you just drop it. I just want to get to the base, and get started with starting over."

Itachi had turned away from the conversation again, the topic boring him, so Sakura felt a new wave of courage. "I told you. As soon as I can, I'm getting out of here. And then Naruto will hunt you down, and kill you. He's not gonna let you live. You're too much of a threat."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Look, Sakura, I saw how Naruto was moving. Obviously, he's been off the job a bit too long. I mean, he's gained like, thirty pounds. He's just not in the shape he needs to be to even come close to beating me."

Sakura said nothing for a while.

"He'll do it anyway." She finally whispered. "He'll come for you, and he'll fight you. To the death. And I think that Kyuubi is just a little bit more than you've bargained for, Uchiha."

* * *

The small lights above his eyelids were what woke him up. The sharp pain in his side was what made him pass out again. It went on like this for a few tries, until Kakashi could pen his eyes. He saw a panicked Aniline leaning over him, blood dripping down from a cut on her cheek. She had pressed her hands to his side, he figured that was why it hurt so much. He could see an orange blur behind Aniline, moving in and out of his line of vision. Aniline was talking to the blur, who he assumed was Naruto, but Kakashi could hear nothing. Her mouth moved like fish lips, no noise reaching his brain. She noticed he was awake, and tried to talk to him. Still, he heard nothing.

Finally, another presence came behind her. It was a small, thin man, carrying a first aid bag nervously. When he saw the wound, his nervousness vanished, and he went straight to business. Kakashi saw Naruto drag Aniline away, out of his sight. He tied to call out to her, but his lips wouldn't move. The man tending him was always speaking, but he seemed to know he wasn't heard.

Kakashi closed his eyes, falling to sleep.

* * *

"He's…He's out there…Let go of me, Naruto…He's…I have to…I said, let go! I have to help him!"

"There's nothing we can do." Naruto said firmly, his tired eyes focused on Aniline. He held her shoulder firmly; convinced she would try to escape. He was right; Aniline was already planning how to distract him best.

"He…he needs me!" She protested.

"What he needs," Naruto explained. "Is a medic that isn't distracted by a worried girlfriend, alright?"

Aniline didn't agree, but she stopped trying to pull herself free. Naruto looked at her intently. "They took them, didn't they? They took Daisuke and Sakura, right? Did you see it?"

Aniline shook her head. "Some sort of flash bomb." She said, unsure. "Sasuke was picking up Dai when Sakura came in. One look at her, and I was sure that boy was done for. But he pulled something out, from behind his back, and threw it. At first, I thought it was a knife or somesuch, but then he yelled, and everything went white. And then…nothing. I must have passed out."

Naruto nodded, taking this information in. "That makes sense. He doesn't want to hurt Sakura, just hide her away. But where?"

"The base."

The voice came from behind him, and Naruto looked behind him to see Kakashi, a bloodied hand pressing white bandages against his shoulder, leaning unsteadily against the door jamb. The medic stood next to him, fluttering his hands, trying to make Kakashi let him fix the wound.

"Kakashi, why are you standing?" Aniline screeched. She pointed to the bed, glaring. Kakashi looked at her, saying nothing and pleading. Aniline shook her head slightly, and he sighed to himself, before letting the medic escort him to the bed, were he sat heavily. Aniline sat on his other side, petting his leg in comfort.

"The base?" Naruto repeated. "You don't mean…Sasuke wouldn't join the Akatsuki, would he?"

Kakashi shook his head. "They wouldn't let him. He would need Orochimaru to join."

Naruto shook his head, not understanding. "Then what base?" he asked.

"The Akatsuki. It is most likely, that even though he is not a member, Sasuke has made one of their small bases his home. He would take Sakura there, and force her to be his wife, I'm assuming."

Images from the nightmare that Itachi had showed him flashed in Naruto's mind, and he grit his teeth in determination. "I'm going after her." He announced.

"I know." Kakashi answered. "But not today. Not now. You're nearly dead on your feet, and I'm in no condition to help you." Naruto looked at his Sensei, and then to the door. Kakashi chuckled. "I am, however, in well enough condition to prevent you from leaving, so don't even try."

Naruto nodded. "I'm going to bed, then." He said. "Don't die before morning."

Kakashi nodded soberly. "I'll try my hardest." He said.

Naruto walked out, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing himself on the bed. He tried to sleep, he really did, but found himself dwelling on the events before long. Hours passed, and again and again he relived his nightmare, until he was finally able to sleep.

* * *

**'_We know who he is. Give up the child for termination, or prepare for war.'_**

_Sakura had cried out in shock at the note found pinned to her pillow. Naruto rolled over, looking at the pale paper. "What the hell is that?" he demanded, snatching it away. He scanned it quickly, before looking up at Sakura in horror. As one, they dashed from their bedroom, and into Daisuke's. Sakura nearly fell down in relief when she saw Dai in his crib, sleeping. She clutched at Naruto_

"_Who?" she asked weakly._

"_I don't know." He answered._

"_How…how would they know? Why would they care?" she asked, approaching Daisuke's crib. The pink cut on his jaw was a vivid reminder of the week before, and the strange warning they had received. _

"_We have to go to the Hokage." Naruto said firmly. Sakura spun around._

"_No!" she said fiercely. "We can't tell them! Nobody can know about Dai!"_

"_You'd rather he's be dead?" Naruto shot out. Sakura looked as if she had been slapped._

"_How can you ask me that?" she demanded. "I'm doing this for him! I don't want them to look down on him, because of who his father is!"_

_Naruto sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. But this is more important. I mean, a war? Just for one boy?"_

_Sakura shrugged wearily, rubbing her temples. "A war, for an ordinary boy? It's unthinkable. But for the Uchiha heir…well, I think I know one person who wouldn't mind terminating him."_

_Naruto nodded in understanding. Itachi may have let his little brother live, but maybe he was to be less generous with his nephew._

"_What do we do Naruto?" Sakura asked. "What can we do?"_

"_I don't know. I'm sorry."_

* * *

Hey everybody! Thanks for the great reviews, I hope this chapter isn't too long for you guys! Next one should be within the next week.

A small note about the _shukusen_, mentioned near the beginning of the chapter. It's a small fan, usually used by females, that has blades imbedded, and it easily concealed. I used this because, as most of you know, the fan is the symbol of the Uchiha clan, so I thought it was appropriate.

Also, the thing about Orochimaru is that after he left, nobody ever took his place, so it stands to reason that he has something that the Akatsuki need, and therefore cannot replace him.

Cheers! And thanks for the reviews, again!


	17. Green Is Yucky

Truth be told, it wasn't that impressive. But that was the point of a bunker, Sakura assumed, to be stealthy. But to be honest, she had expected something a little grander than a hole in the ground.

Well, it was a trapdoor, but who's keeping score?

The trapdoor opened to stairs, which went down for a while, before leading to a door. A large one, but not impressive by anybody's standards. Sakura was just not in the mood to be impressed. Sasuke was carrying her son, while she was bound, gagged and kept from running by Itachi's powerful hands. It was not pleasant.

They moved through the door, and that was when Sakura became impressed. Dark red walls were accented with black, which Sakura found to be predictable but effective. They led her through the long hallways until coming to another door, considerably smaller than the last.

"Call me if she gives you any…trouble." Itachi told his brother, before turning around and leaving. Sakura couldn't hear his footsteps, so she didn't know if he had actually left. She looked up at Sasuke. He smiled at her. She frowned back. Was he actually nervous? He looked like it. He was holding Daisuke, who was only opening his sleepy eyes for the first time in hours, with both hands and pushing open the door with his shoulder. Sakura followed him in, mostly because he held her son in his hands and for lack of anything better to do. She was greeted with a large room, with doors leading off in different directions. Sasuke moved over to the couch and set Daisuke down on it, who was now nearly fully awake.

Sakura was still while Sasuke cut the ropes binding her hands, and pulled the gag from her mouth. Stretching her fingers, Sakura stayed motionless before pulling her arm back and launching a punch at Sasuke's face. He should have been expecting it, but wasn't, so he flew back a couple yards, landing on his ass. He scowled up at Sakura, who stood smugly with her hands on her hips. He grumbled to himself and stood again, walking into an adjoining room. Sakura went over to Daisuke on the couch.

"Hey baby," she whispered. "You okay?"

"My head hurts. I'm hungry." Daisuke replied loudly.

"I know Dai, I'll get you something." She kissed his forehead gently. Sasuke came out of the room, a silver band in his hand. He held it up, looking at Sakura purposefully.

"If that's what I think it is…" she warned, looking at what she figured was a collar.

"It's not." Sasuke said. "It's a bracelet."

"Yes, because that's so much better. I love the idea of being tagged." Sakura replied. Sasuke moved to put it on her, but she stood. "I'm not going to just _let_ you!" she said indignantly.

Sasuke shrugged. Then, surprising her, he moved close, invading her space. His free hand hovered along the side of her face. She tried to keep control, but his dark eyes pierced into her, doing more than the Sharingan ever could. His lips captured her in a kiss. Sakura knew better than to fall for the same trick twice, and pulled away quickly.

"Hey!" she said hotly. She looked down at her wrist. A silver band decorated it. "Oh. Shit." She looked at Sasuke, who was smiling, looking pleased with himself. "You can't just go kissing me. I'm engaged, you know."

"What?" Sasuke was shocked. Why had this not been mentioned before?

"Well, not really."

_Oh. Wait. What?_

"Naruto was going to ask, I saw the ring in his drawer. I think he was going to ask me the day you showed up. And I would have said yes. So it comes to the same thing. No kissing."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No. You're either engaged, or you're not. There's no halfway. Therefore, kissing _is_ allowed."

"I'm hungry!"

Sasuke looked down, and was reminded that Daisuke was there. The boy looked up at his mother grumpily. "Hungry." He repeated, when he had her attention. Sakura smiled, and looked at Sasuke.

"You heard your son. Feed him."

"Me?"

Sakura smiled. Sasuke knew he was doomed. He turned and picked the boy up. "Alright, Dai, what can Daddy get ya?" he asked Daisuke wrinkled his nose at Sasuke.

"You're not my dad. You smell weird." He told Sasuke. Sakura had to choke back a laugh at the glare Sasuke shot at her.

"Have fun," she said, waving her hand as she walked away, moving to explore the other rooms in the suite. Sasuke was left standing, a less than pleased Daisuke in his arms.

"Ookay." He said. "Uh, kitchen then, I guess."

Daisuke said nothing, but crossed his arms and glared. Sasuke nearly yelped at this. Daisuke looked exactly like Sasuke's own father when something wasn't going his way. It was a startling resemblance.

"Okay, okay." He muttered, leaving the suite with Dai.

* * *

Sakura counted to twenty after the door closed before she threw herself onto the king sized bed and screamed into a pillow. She let the sound tear through her lungs, through her whole body, until she was exhausted. She lay, limp, on the plush comforter, head buried in the dark pillow. She slowly sat up, examining the bracelet circling her wrist.

It was wide, plain, and cold. Like any other metal she had ever touched, it was slowly warming on her skin. She stood, moving over to the stone wall and balled her hand into a fist. She swung her arm in a wide arc, striking the stone wall with the edge of the bracelet. A loud clang rang through the room and Sakura felt her arm muscles protest, but after inspection, she saw that the bracelet was unharmed.

She sighed.

_This sucks._ She thought to herself, sitting on the bed, and laying back. Her eyes studied the stone ceiling. Obviously, Sasuke had not bothered to cover the stone with drywall, or wall paper, or anything. Maybe he liked the cold, dungeon feel. The thought gave her shivers. In reality, she was in a dungeon, jailed by the father of her child.

_This sucks._

She sighed, and closed her eyes. Surprisingly, she fell asleep quickly.

* * *

"_What is it?" he whispered, looking down at the object on his table._

"_I'm not sure," Sakura replied, looking at it as well. "I think it's macaroni."_

"_Yes. But why?"_

_Sakura looked at her two year old son, freshly home from daycare. He was smiling proudly at his macaroni creation. "I dunno. Let's be supportive, okay?"_

_Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sure. I'm all over that." He muttered, before his face split into a wide grin. "Did you make this Dai? That's great! What is it?"_

"_Space ship!" Daisuke cried, his hands flying out to show a spaceship launching off._

"_Wow! Really? That's so cool!" _

_Sakura smiled at Naruto, who crouched next to her two year old son, who sat on the kitchen floor, the macaroni art now in his hands. He smiled happily to his mother, who grinned back._

_He waddled over to his toy corner, abandoning his art. Naruto stood next to Sakura again. "What the hell are they teaching him at that place?" he muttered to her, causing Sakura to break out in giggles._

"_Nothing! That's the point! But this is rather…abstract, isn't it?"_

"_I love it." Naruto decided. "It stays on the table, the rest of the week."_

_Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto, you know I invited Aniline and James over this week."_

_Naruto shook his head stubbornly. "It has to stay." He insisted, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips._

"_Fine!" Sakura said, exasperated. "I wash my hands of you, insane man." She turned away in a mock huff, watching her son. _

_A few seconds later, she felt Naruto's strong arms snake around her. "Aww, don't be mad." He whispered huskily in her ear. She giggled, and then regained her composure, taking on her role._

"_I'll be mad if I want." She said haughtily. "I don't think that we should keep it up – ah!"_

_She yelped as he picked her up, spinning her quickly, before setting her down. She whirled around on his, her eyes sparking, laughter bubbling from her lips. "You jerk!" she cried. Naruto nodded his agreement before capturing her mouth in a kiss._

"Naruto…"

The small sigh from the pink haired girl made the dark haired man frown as he stood in the corner. The girl rolled over, and said no more. Itachi, bored, moved out of the room, contemplating his new knowledge.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was a worldly man. In his eighteen years, he had seen a lot, done a lot. He had been to hell and back for revenge, and had that revenge never sated. But never, in his lifetime, had he been stared down by a person who didn't clear his knees.

"No."

The voice was firm, no chance of compromise hidden it its depths. Daisuke was dead serious.

And Sasuke was at a loss.

"What's wrong about it?" he asked, completely bewildered. Confusion was not an expression commonly seen on Uchiha Sasuke's face, but it was present then. His eyebrows were raised, and he looked completely disbelieving, holding the apple in his hands.

"It's green." Daisuke explained stubbornly. "Green is yucky."

"Green is a color. It doesn't taste like anything." Sasuke said, frustrated. Daisuke didn't respond, but it was obvious that he was not budging on the subject. The two Uchiha locked eyes for a few long moments before Sasuke admitted defeat. He considered using the Sharingan, but realized that Sakura might kill him for it. He rolled his eyes, sighing. "Well, what _do_ you want?"

"Ramen!"

_No way. No freaking way._

"No." Sasuke's voice was clipped. "You're only three. Ramen would send you up the walls."

Daisuke frowned, his face troubled. "Daddy lets me have it." He said, not understanding. "He says it's good for me. He says I'll be a ninja one day! Are you a ninja? My mom is!" He smiled at the end of his burst, and then frowned again, remembering the topic.

"I don't care what Naruto says. And it's not good for you. And yes, you'll be a ninja. Yes, I am one. And I know that your mother is." Sasuke answered. He moved away from the countertop where Daisuke sat, his legs swinging over the edge. Sasuke rifled through cupboards, coming up short of anything a child would eat.

"Trouble, brother?"

The deep voice startled Sasuke, who was used to being snuck up on by Itachi, but had expected him to be elsewhere in the house. "I thought I asked you to watch Sakura." Sasuke said, ignoring the question. Itachi shrugged, looking at the by on the counter. He made no expression or movement, but Sasuke could tell he was curious.

"The girl is boring. Sleeping now. Mumbling about that Naruto boy." As expected, Sasuke scowled at this news. Daisuke, however, piped up at the name.

"That's my Dad's name!" he told Itachi, who gave a small smirk to himself and watched his brother's ears go faintly pink.

"Is it?" he asked, moving towards his nephew. The boy nodded quickly.

"Yeah! He's really old, did you know?" Daisuke said, momentarily distracted from his hunger by Itachi.

"Hm. How old are you?" Itachi asked in response. Daisuke thought for a moment.

"I'll be four soon." He said proudly.

Sasuke was silent during this exchange. Half of his mind was still thinking about the meal he needed to make, the other half was wondering how to get Daisuke to stop thinking of Naruto as his father. The first thing that had to go was the shirt with the Uzumaki swirl, of course. This thought made him pause. Neither Sakura nor Daisuke had anything other than the clothes on their backs. And, if things went to plan, they would be staying here for a while. They would need things.

He sighed to himself, and tried to pay attention to the proceedings in his kitchen. Daisuke was chattering happily away, while Itachi listened passively. He seemed to have found a large reserve of patience for his nephew, for Sasuke didn't remember Itachi ever letting _him_ ramble on like that. Any time Itachi was annoyed, he would just poke Sasuke on the forehead and leave. Sasuke frowned at the memory, rubbing his forehead in remembrance.

"Ramen you wanted then?" He asked suddenly, now too preoccupied with his thoughts to continue arguing about nutritional value. Daisuke looked over, face lighting up. He was pleased to have won.

"Yes!"

Sasuke nodded, and turned back around to root through the cupboards some more. His abhorrence of ramen and Itachi's apathy towards shopping made finding the instant noodles very challenging. After a few tense minutes, he finally extracted something passable and began preparing it.

* * *

"This has to stop happening." Naruto said sullenly, sitting cross-legged on his bed, across from Kakashi, who was stretched out along the end. The older man nodded. "Really. This is getting old. He has to…I dunno, fall off a cliff or something."

"Is his death really necessary?" Kakashi asked. He would prefer if all of Team 7 stayed alive, even if one was a missing-nin and betrayer of their village.

"No. But I'm going to kill him anyway. I just can't wait to sink my teeth in, rip him apart. For what he's done to Sakura. What if he hurts her while she's there?" Naruto stopped, swallowing nervously. "What if he…forces her to…?"

"He won't." Kakashi assured Naruto firmly.

"How do you know?" Naruto shot back. He was frightened, massively so. He was not allowed to leave until morning, for Kakashi wanted to come with him.

"Because, things aren't concrete yet. He knows that you'll come for her, and he thinks there is a chance you will win. He won't do anything to her until he is sure that you aren't ever going to be around to take revenge."

Naruto nodded. It made sense. He shooed Kakashi from his room and lay back on his bed, feeling desolate. He lay on Sakura's side, sinking into the small dent that her body had left in the mattress. Inhaling deeply, he breathed in her scent. Daisuke's smell was there too. Mud, and glue and paint, that was what he smelled like. He was such a creative child.

Personally, Naruto was hoping that he could convince Sakura to put Daisuke into the art school, instead of the shinobi training school. It would be safer, and Naruto always wanted that. He just wanted Dai to be safe.

But, now that his son was with Sasuke and Itachi, he was everything but safe.

His fist clenched in the bed sheets and he fought to keep himself from destroying everything he could get his hands on. He did not think he would sleep at all that night.

* * *

_Hey everybody! This one is SUPER long, but there was nowhere I could cut it. Well, it's long in comparison to my other chapters. Next chapter: Sasuke ass-kicking! Naruto needs to get in there an whoop some Uchiha ass!_

_Any suggestions on how Sasuke should be horribly humiliated? Just kidding! (Sort of.)_

_Also, I have a list of people that I want to thank for continued reviews, but I can't find it. So, I'll post it with the next chapter, because I really appreciate every single review, even the short ones._

_This chapter was a little hard to get through, but inspiration came from Teagan and Sara, Paramore, and Matchbox 20._

_Next one up soon! I love you!_


	18. A Good Man?

_You think you have time, when you find out. You think 'oh, it's going to be okay. I've got nine months to prepare'. But nine months can blow right past. In the course of nine months, you can lose the man you love, and see another man in a way you never dreamt possible._

_And when you're alone, sitting in your prison, a tag on your wrist, you think that time is slowed down, because he's not in the room. But it moves at the same speed. Even though you're alone, and you're scared, and you're cursing yourself for letting him out of your sight, even just for a second._

_Time doesn't slow down. You do._

_In nine months, you get lazy, get cocky. You've got so many people protecting you; you start to think you're untouchable. That you're safe._

_But there's no such thing as safety. The minute you think that you're safe, that you're okay, that's when you know it's all blown to hell._

_Because it doesn't matter._

_It doesn't matter how many people are protecting you. You're still just you. And you, alone, is very, very unsafe._

* * *

The voice wisped above her ear moments after she registered a presence in the room. Sakura threw herself from the bed, and the weight that leant against her back. She spun, hands raised to defend herself, clenched into fists. She took in the sight of the person who had startled her. 

"Itachi."

The man said nothing, but continued to lounge on the bed where Sakura had been. She relaxed her defensive stance, but only slightly. She watched the older Uchiha warily. "What do you want?" she asked finally, when she realized he was not going to speak first.

He moved so quickly that Sakura was unsure when it had happened. Suddenly, he was inches away from her, his impassive face studying her. "Haruno Sakura." He said quietly, not moving. Sakura was shocked still. She could not move her body. She was caught in his gaze. Itachi smiled, but barely. "What is it about you…that fascinates my brother so?" he asked quietly, stroking her hair and letting a few strands fall between his fingers. "He cannot leave you alone. When he got word of the boy…" Itachi let out a chuckle, nearly making Sakura flinch. "The look on his face. He thought that the Kyuubi boy had fathered him. He went to take you back, away from Naruto. Was that just their rivalry on his part, or is there something about _you_…that I am unaware of?" Itachi seemed genuinely curious.

"I…I don't know." Sakura whispered, while she followed Itachi's gaze like a snake caught in a charm. He smiled pityingly at her.

"He means to take you, did you know? To make you his. To make you bound to him." Itachi told her this idly, and it took Sakura a moment to realize what he said.

"He won't!" she said forcefully. Sasuke was a lot of things, but Sakura could never see him as a rapist.

Itachi didn't answer, instead stared into her. "When he saw the boy, he knew. And he came right to me." Itachi explained quietly. Sakura wondered to herself why Itachi was sharing this with her at all. "He's always had an obsession with restoring the clan. And he had already started; only he didn't know. It was ironic. He dragged me in to his scheme."

"Why?" Sakura whispered, her breath coming short and quick. She felt like a trapped animal.

"Contrary to popular belief, I do feel guilt." Itachi responded. "I will help my brother, I do not truly wish for him to hate me."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sakura breathed, watching Itachi's crimson eyes. They never broke contact with her. His hands were still absently roaming her body, but she couldn't find the strength to force him to stop.

"I wanted you to be prepared, for tonight. He will take you into his bed, whether or not you wish to. You have born one Uchiha child already. Sasuke is greedy." Itachi paused, leaning in to whisper in her ear. Sakura could feel his hot breath on her skin, and shivered. "He wants another heir. He'll force it from you."

Sakura gasped, finally able to move. She shoved Itachi violently. He stumbled back, as did she. She fell down, staring up at the man. "You're a monster!" she spat at him. He seemed strangely affected by her words.

"I am not the one planning to rape you." He replied. "When he's inside you, and you're begging him to stop, ask yourself who the real monster is." With that he turned and left the room, leaving a shell shocked Sakura half lying on the stone floor.

Silence permeated the room oppressively. She felt as though she would cry. Why had Itachi even come to speak with her? Had he only meant to mess with her mind? Get her scared for the fun of it? Sasuke wasn't possibly going to do the things Itachi said…was he?

She felt the fear trickle in her mind, slowly at first, but soon she felt the cold envelop her and she was shaking. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't become a victim. Not to him. She tried to stand, letting out a strangled sob when she heard Daisuke's voice in the hall. She wanted to run to him, but her fear of the man he was with kept her hidden in her spot.

She heard Dai's voice, chattering about the most mundane things, and Sasuke's deep voice replying. Sakura let out another sob. It was all coming to fast. This domestic life, the one they could have had, if Sasuke hadn't left. If Sasuke had been a father to Dai, they would be something similar to this. They would be chatting and family meals and everything that Naruto was. This deep ache for the life she could have had with Sasuke was contrasted by the overwhelming anxiousness at the thought of Sasuke ever forcing himself upon her. She knew he had changed while he had been away, but was it possible for a good man to change _that much_?

Sakura had to fight herself to keep from crying. If Sasuke had been a real father to Dai, Naruto could have been Hokage. Instead of that incompetent man who had taken over for Tsunade, who had grown weary of the work too soon. And Sakura could have been a doctor, a trained medic, if she hadn't been so caught up in missing Sasuke.

Really, this was his entire fault.

The realization sunk in like bricks. Sakura felt the urge to cry ebb away, and she straightened. She listened to the chatter in the next room, before opening the bedroom door and walking into the sitting room. Sasuke looked up immediately, taking in her shaking hands and red eyes, coupled with the tear tracks down her face. He stood immediately.

"What's wrong?" he demanded. Sakura looked at him, anger raw and hard in her expression. Her voice was harsh and grating when she yelled at him.

"You! You're what's wrong!" she cried. Sasuke took a step back. Daisuke looked up at his mother. He hadn't seen her so mad in a long time. Not since Dad had painted the kitchen orange as a surprise.

"You left, Sasuke!" Sakura said. "You left and now, now you're back, infecting everything! I, I have something, you know. Plans. Naruto has plans for us. We're getting married, and he loves me!"

"And you?" Sasuke asked, his voice cold. His jaw was clenched. "What about you?"

"Me?" Sakura asked. "Me? Now you're thinking about me? That's a pretty big surprise! You wanna know? You wanna know about me? I stopped loving you, Sasuke! _I don't love you anymore_. It sickens me to think of the ways I wanted you! It makes me nauseas to think of the ways I pined for you. Cried for you."

Sasuke clenched his fists. "What is the point of this?" he asked, his voice clipped.

"I love Naruto!" Sakura replied earnestly. "I love him! And I'm stuck here, with you! And he thinks…he thinks I have doubts about him. But I don't. I love him so much, Sasuke, and you took me away from him, so you know what? You are what's wrong with me. You are what's wrong with everything."

Sasuke strode forward, grabbing Sakura by the shoulders. He kissed her fiercely. Angrily, she pushed him away. "Itachi told me what you were planning." Sakura hissed. Sasuke's eyes widened and he looked at Daisuke quickly. Sakura started to silently channel chakra towards her fist. "But it won't ever work. You could fuck me a thousand times tonight, and it will all be for _nothing_!"

Sasuke's face scrunched in confusion. Sakura laughed harshly at the expression. "You can't get a pregnant girl pregnant!" she screamed at him. Her face was red with anger and exertion, and Daisuke had backed up as far as he could while still staying on the couch. Sakura threw her chakra infused fist towards Sasuke's face, feeling the impact make a sickening crunch.

She felt the bones of his jaw give way to her strength cleanly. He soared away from her, hitting the wall across the room. Blood poured from his mouth and nose. Sakura looked at him, breathing heavily. "I will never, never, let you touch me again, Uchiha Sasuke." She said quietly. She knew Sasuke heard her by the way his eyes flicked from her to the ground. "There will never be another child for you from me. The rest of my life, I will never let you touch me."

Feeling the air go out of her suddenly, Sakura stumbled back a step, feeling her strength drain away. She looked over at Dai, who looked terrified. Furious with herself, she ran to her son, who flinched away. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry," she whispered, pulling the shaking boy into a tight hug. Self-loathing filled her heart, and she tried to comfort her son. "I am so, so, sorry. But we'll be home soon, okay? And Daddy'll make you some soup, the kind you like best, okay? And you'll see Aniline and maybe Kakashi too."

"Old gray man?" Daisuke asked in a small voice. Sakura laughed at the nickname.

"Yea. Old gray man will tell you a story, okay?"

"Okay." His voice was less frightened now, but Sakura could tell he was still spooked. Unsure of what else to do, she soothed Dai's tick hair, petting it gently.

"I'm sorry." Sakura said again, ignoring the bleeding mad behind her. She picked Daisuke up and exited the suite. She ran headlong into Itachi. Obviously he had been listening to their whole exchange. Sakura scowled at him.

"I don't care if everything you said was a lie. He had that coming anyway." She told him. Itachi said nothing, only looked at her expectantly. Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes. "He's still alive." She conceded. Itachi nodded, moving to walk past her.

"Wait in the kitchen." He ordered her. Sakura frowned at the command, but knew that the band on her wrist kept her from leaving. She had read about the chakra infused collars that kept people within certain boundaries. It was annoying.

* * *

_When you think about it, when you really stop to think, you become terrified. Of everything. Of losing it. Losing the baby is the worst thing imaginable. Because even if you don't want it, you sure as hell don't want to be responsible for killing it._

_So walking up stairs is terrifying, for what if you fell? You can hardly stand in a kitchen, knives are everywhere, and kitchen fires could make your baby's lungs thick with smoke._

_It's terrifying._

_What's even worse is the waiting._

_Waiting in the cold kitchen for the broken man who calls himself your baby's father to come and hurt you. And you're not sure if he'll stop with you, or if he'll decide that it's both of your faults, and that your baby deserves some pain._

_You're never afraid for yourself. You're always, forever, eternally scared for that child. The one that ruined your life. The one that forced you to grow up too fast. The one that showed you that religion isn't about God. It's about believing._

_And God, when you're terrified, there isn't anything you can do, besides believe._

* * *

Leaves whipped past his face, the cold night air doing nothing to slow him down. Naruto was the wind. He moved gracefully, Kakashi sprinting along the treetops beside him. They said nothing, they didn't need to. They both knew their objective, both knew their destination. 

It was early morning. Naruto had been up with the dawn, dressed before Kakashi had even started to yawn his way awake. Aniline had fed them silently, moving tensely, her body stiff and sore. She was taking Sarah out for the day, so she shooed the two shinobi out as quickly as possible. As Kakashi left, she had linked her hand in his and asked him not to die.

He promised heartily, but she did not trust him.

Kakashi and Naruto, on their way out of the village, had discussed the location of the nearest Akatsuki base. Its location was common knowledge, due to the Akatsuki barely ever using it. But as the closet base to the Hidden Leaf village, it was Naruto's best bet for Sakura's location.

They ran swiftly, covering the distance between the village and the base easily. By noon, they found themselves at the edge of the large forest, looking in on the top layer of a stone bunker.

"What are the chances that anyone besides the Uchiha are here?" Naruto asked. His Sensei paused, considering the question.

"Slim. I think they would want to keep this low key." Kakashi replied slowly. "But let's not count on that. The entrance is there." He pointed to a large mound of grass. "There's a trapdoor there. We need to get in, quietly, and then hit them with all we've got."

Naruto nodded. The pair crept slowly through the sunlight, listening for any other bodies in their range. They reached the trapdoor without incident, and Naruto scanned it. "No obvious traps." He whispered, and Kakashi nodded. Naruto flung the door open and hopped inside to the stone steps below. Kakashi followed him.

As they moved through the second door, Naruto smirked to himself. They had done it. They had really done it. They had snuck into the Akatsuki base and were well on their way to saving Sakura.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

_After the terror, after the waiting, there's silence. There's the wailing of your son in the background, but all you're focused on is the silence of your tormentor. As blood pours from your nose and you're spitting pink, all there is for you is silence._

_Trying to hold on to empty space is impossible. Trying to hold on to the idea that your persecutor is a good man, deep down, is even harder._

_And he was a good man. I really believed that. At one time, Sasuke had been a good man. Who he was now, I had no idea._


	19. Interlude: Before The Storm

_I lost my temper. Clear and simple. I lost control; let her get the better of me. And in that space of ten minutes, when I let my rage control me, I did some things that I'm going to regret for a very long time. I hurt her. I hurt Sakura._

_I effectively killed the small chance that I ever had of getting her back. And that sucks._

_But, good news is, I've got the rest of our lives to fix it. That is, unless she kills me when she wakes up._

_The thing that eats at me most now, is that the whole time, when I was hitting her, she kept looking at Daisuke. At our son. She was genuinely afraid that I would hurt him. And I know I have no right to feel betrayed, but I do. To think that she would believe that I would hurt Dai…_

_It's an unimaginable pain; to be so mistrusted by to woman you love. But I deserve it. All I've done is screw her over, ever since I met her. _

_I made her love me, made her want me. I made her need me. Because I needed her, and I never wanted to be the one who needed something. And I made her believe that I didn't love her, so leaving would be easier. And I thought it had been a clean break, at least for her. Turns out that my leaving left her in the worst position of her life._

_She's the strongest girl I've ever known. She kept my baby._

She kept my son.

* * *

When Sakura awoke, all there was surrounding her was Naruto. His rage was a white hot intensity, forcing chakra to boil from his skin like flame, and when her eyes opened, she found herself staring not into the blue ocean depths that she loved so achingly much, but instead into the feral eyes of his demon. He was standing above her, his anger pouring itself into the air around her, his eyes burning into her skull, a fractured expression across his face. It was as if he was torn between comforting her and ripping the world to shreds and forcing it to its knees before him. 

Sakura was unsure which he would chose, so she tried to speak to him. She opened her mouth, and realized that had been a bad idea. Naruto's fists clenched as a fresh wave of the scent of her blood washed over him, and he saw that a few of her teeth were missing near the back. She tried to speak, but a strangled croak was her best try.

"Naru-" she coughed and in a second he was by her side, holding her, clutching her desperately to his chest, and she thought that maybe he wasn't trying to comfort only her.

"Sakura. I saw you." He whispered, his voice hoarse with the pain of controlling Kyuubi. "I saw you and I thought…you looked dead."

"Naru…"

"I thought you were dead." He sobbed slightly. "I thought you were dead." He clung to her shoulders tightly, crouching over her body on the stone floor of the kitchen, where her blood was spilled.

"I couldn't hear your heart beat."

Sakura mumbled something, trying to move her weak arms to embrace him back, to comfort him. She found her body to be unwilling to move, and in quite a lot of pain. She choked back a sob at the sudden, crushing pain that was her face and upper body. She swallowed firmly, trying to speak again.

"Naruto." She managed, and he pulled always, his red eyes flicking over her face intently.

"Did he do this to you?" he demanded. "Did Itachi do this to you?"

"Itachi?"

Sakura was confused. What was Naruto talking about? What had been done? And why did he assume that Itachi had done it? Above her, Naruto was frowning at her apparent confusion. "Sakura," he commanded. "Tell me who hurt you."

Sakura looked away from the crimson eyes that refused to leave her face. "He's a good man." She said quietly, her jaw moving slowly as she swallowed back bile. A purple bruise had blossomed on the edge of her cheek and Naruto reached out and stroked it, and then took her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Did Sasuke do this to you?" he asked softly, his eyes fading back to blue, though she knew it was by obvious effort on his part. His hands shook slightly, and the air around his body hummed with now unseen chakra. Sakura stared into the ocean of his eyes, willing her bloody hands to reach out and stroke the marks along his cheeks, to memorize his face, so that one day, she would be _sure_ that she would never forget him.

"I wanted him to be a good man." Sakura finally replied. her throat hurt to speak, but she ignored the niggling pain. "I wanted him to know, without me telling him. I wanted him to know. I wanted him to be a father. But he was just Sasuke. And I'm just Sakura, and I expected too much. I still do."

Naruto watched in fascinated horror as she spoke, her voice dull and lifeless. Her eyes were telling a different story, they were sparkling green and aching for him to understand. She could see it in the depths of her color what she meant.

"I wanted him to be you, Naruto."

His heart ached and his demon rumbled and Naruto stood, pulling Sakura up with him. "Be very, very quiet." He told her, before helping her from the kitchen. He moved through the halls easily, navigating through the emptiness to where Kakashi stood, outside a door. He took in the sight of Naruto, eyes red once again, and fingernails curved into claws. He looked at Sakura, beaten bloody from the waist up and he nodded to his student. He knew the question, before it was asked. He stepped forward and took Sakura from Naruto, lifting the small woman into his arms.

Before he left, he whispered "Daisuke is in there too." Naruto's eyes widened, but after a moment, his resolve seemed to strengthen.

Stepping forward, he placed a scarred hand on the wooden door, claws curving slightly to scritch at the surface. He felt the chakra tunnel through his body and into the palm of his hand. The wood burned his skin slightly before it exploded, fire and splinters and thunder in the dark hall. Sakura was long gone, Kakashi racing her back home, to a healer. Soon, Naruto was long gone as well.

His demon had taken over, and he had only two objectives. Above all else, protect the boy. Pack was pack, family was family. Blood was blood. Secondly, remove the threat. Permanently.

As the slight smoke cleared, Kyuubi found himself looking through the eyes of his human prison, and being in control. Two objectives kept him locked, but he marveled at the freedom his limbs felt. He looked past the cloud, into the room, and saw a tall, terribly bored looking man standing across from him.

Looking up, the man spoke. "Naruto. I was wondering when you would come."

The deep, hissing voice that issued from his mouth pleased Kyuubi very well as he replied. "I am not Naruto. You would do well not presume that you at all familiar with me, mortal."

* * *

Sasuke was tired. He had long realized that Naruto had relinquished his hard earned self control the demon inside him, and was now battling the implications of that decision. Like the fact that Sasuke was starting to doubt that he would survive the battle.

* * *

My ever faithful reviewers, who always tell me if they like it, or what could be changed, or if something was inaccurate. You guys **rockhardcore**! 

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Thanks to all the guys listed above, as well as anyone I missed. Your reviews are my crack, and they are what makes me finish a chapter a three in the morning, opposed to finishing it the next day. You guys truly keep me going. As you can see, all my other fics are unfinished, from lack of motivation on my part. I really feel like A Mother's Son has kept going because of the way you guys drive me.

It's fucking cool

So, thanks.

See you in a few days.


	20. I'll Miss You, Uchiha Sasuke

He couldn't see out his left eye, due to the large amount of blood that was bleeding down that side of his face. Sasuke had a gash on his scalp, a gift from Naruto's sharp claws, and it was bleeding profusely.

The pair had torn apart the kitchen and were fighting among the rubble. Sasuke had perched himself atop the hissing refrigerator, while Naruto prowled the other side of the room, trying to figure his way past the fallen ceiling pieces. Sasuke could hear his swearing, still in that harsh demon voice that sounded so familiar but so alien as well. Sasuke figured it wouldn't take long for Naruto to decide to just blast his way through, and his theory was proven correct as the dust and metal and glass whipped past him suddenly.

Naruto tore through the cloud, his eyes blazing a fiery red. Energy crackled in his palm as he ran towards Sasuke, who had already leapt away, and was now moving along the walls of the room. Naruto matched his movement, drawing ever closer. Soon, Sasuke found himself trapped.

"_Rasengan_!"

The shriek tore through the air and Sasuke watched the light move towards him. He leapt to the side, feeling his body crunch against the hard wall. Naruto growled his frustration.

"Will you not fight me, Uchiha?" he cried, tearing towards him. Sasuke worked to evade him, a difficult task in such a small room.

"Naruto, stop." Sasuke said, not for the first time. He did not see what he was saying as pleading, but as a favor to his friend. When Naruto woke up from whatever trance he was in, and saw that he had killed Sasuke, he would be crushed. So really, Sasuke was just looking out for Naruto.

"You make me laugh, pitiful boy. Naruto is long gone. Your begging is worthless. " Sasuke could no longer see his opponent; he had been able to position himself behind another obstacle. He could hear the demon's ragged breathing and his raspy whisper was unmistakable.

Suddenly, there was a burst of air behind Sasuke, and he could feel Naruto's hands on his throat. Naruto's lips were right next to his ear, and Sasuke could feel his hot breath. "He would not care if I killed you now, Sharingan. Not after what you did to his woman."

Sasuke felt his jealously swell, and did something decidedly stupid. He snorted. "Sakura doesn't belong to him." He spat. The hand holding Sasuke clenched minutely, before pulling violently. Sasuke felt himself soar through the air, his body heading towards the window. He crashed through it, the glass and splinters tearing at his skin. He cursed himself for getting into a fight in the one room in the whole base with windows to outside. It was just asking for trouble.

Naruto came through the window after him; landing nimbly near Sasuke's shaking body. Before Sasuke could stand, Naruto grabbed his jacket and held him above his head. "You've made me very angry, Sharingan. It's about time that you learned why the Hidden Village of the Leaf, strongest in the Land of Fire, fears _my_ power."

The seconds ticked by quietly, until Sasuke's world was enveloped in black.

* * *

"No, no, no…" Sakura was mumbling frantically, trying to pull herself from Kakashi's arms. He ignored her, not letting go. "Sensei, please." She whispered. He said nothing. In frustration, Sakura slammed her palm against his chest. That got his attention. His eyes flicked down to her. The crimson eye reminded her chillingly of Sasuke, while his slate grey one reminded her of comfort. "Sensei! Please! Take me back!" Sakura whispered. 

Kakashi shook his head, continuing to fly through the forest. Sakura gave a sob of defeat. "Daisuke…"

Kakashi's mind was flying just about as fast as his feet. He knew that Sakura would be much angrier later, when she realized that Naruto and Sasuke were fighting, and that Kyuubi had taken over Naruto, while Daisuke's location was uncertain. He hoped desperately that Itachi had not relocated with the small toddler, but he also hoped that someone had thought to move the boy before the fight began.

"It's going to be alright, Sakura." Kakashi murmured "You've been injured; we need to get you back to the village. It won't be long."

Sakura was barely listening. The pain in her torso and face was ignorable now, for she had bigger things to think about. She tried desperately to block the mage of Sasuke leering over her, before placing another well-aimed kick to her abdomen.

Instead, images of a howling Daisuke leaked into her brain. He had been sitting on the counter when Sasuke had come n, and by the time that Sakura was slumped in the corner, blood pouring from her nose, he had relocated to the empty kitchen sink. His eyes peeked over the stainless steel edge, wide with fear. When Sakura had started crying, he too, had lost control.

"_Mommy!"_

A casual toss to the left, and Sakura was a heap of flesh as Sasuke roughly moved her around the kitchen.

"_No! Don't! You're hurting her! Mom!"_

She had tried to calm him, but the sudden urge to vomit hit her, and she had shut her mouth, clenched her teeth and breathing through her bloody nose. The result was a series of wet coughs, but fortunately, she did not throw up.

"Sakura."

Kakashi's smooth voice pushed through her hazy conscious state, and she flicked her tired eyes in his direction. "We're here." He told her. She looked around, finding that they were already inside the village. Had time really gone that fast? She struggled in Kakashi's arms. He chuckled at her. "I'm sorry, Sakura, but you are in no condition to stand."

He walked quickly along the sidewalk, before coming to her house. He carried her, bridal style, into the empty house, and set her gingerly on the bed. "I am going for a doctor." He said clearly. "I will be back in less than five minutes. If you are not in this exact spot when I return, I will be most displeased."

Sakura didn't have the energy to argue, so she allowed herself a small smile and sank back down into the bed's cushy softness. Her fingers twisted themselves in her lap, and she longed to be able to move. She felt useless, she wanted to be with Sasuke and Naruto, fighting. _Why is it that I'm always knocked out before a big fight_? She wondered. _It must be a conspiracy._

She closed her eyes, willing her mind to be blank. Surprisingly, she didn't immediately think back to her recent assault, instead, her thoughts wandered back to Daisuke. Her fiss clenched minutely. She had left him all alone. What kind of mother was she?

"_Green is yucky." He told her. Sakura rolled her eyes._

"_When did you decide that?" she asked him, still cutting the broccoli on his plate._

"_Yesterday. Dad says that green is made from boogers!"_

_Sakura snorted. "He would say something like that, wouldn't he?" She moved away from her kitchen counter, where she was preparing food, and Daisuke sat, watching her. Sakura stuck her head out the side window. "Naruto!" she bellowed. "Get in here!"_

_He was at the doorstep in less than thirty seconds, his wide smile lighting up his face. The way he looked at her made it hard for Sakura to chastise him. She tried anyway, her face pulling into a frown._

"_Naruto," she said sternly. "Dai says that you told him that green was made of boogers?" Naruto looked affronted, and his wide eyes swiveled to the young boy on the counter. Dai had the decency to look shamed._

"_My own son," Naruto whispered, the picture of betrayal. "Divulging secrets. I said not to tell!" _

_He looked at Daisuke. Sakura was close to laughing. Naruto's face was contorted with grief._

"_Sorry Dad."_

_A second passed, then two. After a few more silent moments, Naruto grinned widely. He scooped the boy into his arms, boosting his on his chest. "Ah, it's okay. Just don't go telling secrets to the enemy anymore."_

"_Hey!" Sakura said, waving a wooden spoon at him. "I'll have you know that this enemy is making you dinner!"_

_Naruto smiled. He stepped up to Sakura, kissing her temple. "I appreciate it. Try not to poison me, my love."_

_Sakura grumbled something unintelligible, before turning away, a smile tugging at the edges of her lips._

* * *

"Sakura." 

A pale man was talking to her, and Sakura felt her eyes slide back into focus. He was checking her fingers, looking for breaks. Finding none, he propped her torso, fingers finding her rips and sending shooting pains through her body when he touched them.

"One broken, whoops, make that two…this one's just a bruise…"

A small man stood behind him, taking notes. She looked around the room quizzically, finding Kakashi standing silently in the corner. She saw his face move and knew that, under his mask, he was smiling. She smiled back, before wincing in pain when a sharp poke brought her back to the doctor. He was examining her stomach, hands flat on the skin. His hands were cold beneath her shirt, but they quickly warmed at chakra flowed through them.

She watched the doctor, trying not to look anxious. When he pulled his hands back a fraction, his brow furrowed, she knew that he knew. "What do you see?" she whispered. The doctor's eyes flicked up.

"It's not good." He said. Kakashi straightened.

"What?"

The doctor looked up, withdrawing his hands from Sakura and taking the notepad from his assistant. "It seems that Miss Haruno is a few weeks with child. The assault has left the baby…wounded. Grievously. I am unsure that my healing powers are sufficient to save the child."

Sakura felt the air leave her body. "No!" she said forcefully. "I won't lose this baby."

The doctor, looked up. "I'm sorry." He said sadly. Sakura didn't respond. What could she say to that?

* * *

Naruto was starting to freak out. He had let Kyuubi out, just for a test run, and now, he couldn't seem to get back in control. The demon seemed to be having a great time tossing Sasuke around, into trees, rocks, and down into the ground. The Uchiha was barely clinging onto consciousness, but Naruto found it hard to find the sympathy for him. 

His main concern was that he had no clue where Daisuke was. As soon he found that out, his freak-out meter would go down by about four notches. So, it was very important that Dai was found.

"Enough." Sasuke coughed, blood spraying on the dusty ground where he crouched, on all fours, covered in dirt and debris. Naruto heard his voice laugh.

"Enough? You dare ask me for mercy?" the chilling laugh made Naruto angry. "The boy wants nothing less than your death, Sharingan. Give me one reason why I shouldn't give it to you."

"You'll never find Daisuke if you kill me."

Naruto's heart nearly stopped. His mind went blank with panic. Sasuke had hidden Dai. Daisuke was alone, with Itachi, scared as fuck, and Naruto couldn't do anything to help him. His distress was so much that the demon's control began to waver.

"You've hidden him?" the demon's voice hissed angrily, making Sasuke's heart accelerate. Even the demon could appreciate the severity of the situation. Pack was pack. You didn't leave a packmate behind.

"He's with my brother."

Naruto demanded control now. It was a few tense minutes while Sasuke crouched on the ground, oblivious to the power struggle. Inside his own body, Naruto felt Kyuubi's chakra overwhelm him. _Back in the cage, fox, back in the damn cage you stupid mangy animal…_

Suddenly, the demon was gone. Naruto stumbled, falling to one knee. He took a large breath. "Sasuke." He said, testing his voice. It was hoarse, but sounded like his own. Sasuke noticed the difference, looking up to see blue eyes boring into him from across the clearing.

"Sasuke. I will only ask you one time, before I kill you." Naruto spoke quietly, but he knew that Sasuke could hear. He moved over to the bleeding man, moving to sit and whisper in his ear. "_Where is my son_?"

Sasuke willed his body not to convulse as he heard the dangerous timbre in Naruto's voice. Naruto was finally playing hardball. One wrong answer and the world was down another Uchiha. He cleared his throat, trying to buy himself time. "Naruto," he tried.

"My son?" Naruto interrupted.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto sat back for a moment, a calculating look on his face. "So, that's it. You're not going to tell me?" Sasuke hesitated briefly, before he nodded silently. Naruto sighed. "That's unfortunate, Sasuke. I don't want to kill you." He looked away, into the distance. His hand went behind his back. "But I will. You were my best friend, but that means nothing now."

He slipped a kunai from the pouch at his waist before standing and dragging Sasuke up by his hair. The larger man was too beaten to struggle.

The kunai's blade was pressed against the base of Sasuke's neck. Naruto held it steady, but he was trying not to cry. He had never thought it would actually come to this. Life or death. It was a lot to handle. "One more chance," he said, willing his voice not to shake. "Where is Daisuke?"

Sasuke looked down at his friend, his crimson eyes bleeding back to their original slate. He shook his head slightly, just enough to nick his skin on the kunai on his neck. "Naruto," he whispered. "Please, kill my brother. Avenge my clan."

Naruto gasped out, the reality of the situation bearing down on him. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he tightened the grip on his kunai. "I'm going to miss you, Uchiha Sasuke."

Dual screams tore through the forest, one of agony and one of pain, as Naruto pulled on the blade.

* * *


	21. Into The Fire

_They say you know, that you can feel it, when the person you love most in the world is in pain. As the doctor spoke quietly with Kakashi, I felt it. I felt the tearing at my heart, pulling me two different ways. One, I could feel Naruto, feel his bitter denial, feel his crushing grief._

_And Sasuke…I couldn't feel him. _

_That's how I knew. I couldn't feel him at all. Naruto was in pain, and Sasuke was oblivion. It was over._

_It was all over._

* * *

Kakashi was trying to persuade the doctor to attempt the healing when it started. Sakura's first wail pierced his mind, sending waves of foreboding through him. The doctor rushed to his patient, he and his assistant pinning her down. She fought them, crying and yelling incoherently. Kakashi watched in shock and disbelief while Sakura thrashed around, crying violently. The doctor pulled out a sedative and worked to administer it.

"No! Kakashi!" Sakura watched the fluid push through the needle, feeding into her bloodstream. Her eyes sought Kakashi. "You have to go back! Find them! Don't let me fall asleep…" Her eyes dropped as the drug went through her body, but she fought to stay awake. "Sensei…find him…Naruto…Sasu…"

Kakashi stepped close when Sakura was finally still. Helping the assistant cover Sakura, he looked at the doctor. "I don't care how many medics it takes, when I get back, she better be healed." His eyes were hard with determination. "Her, and the baby."

With one last look at Sakura, he strode out, leaving the doctor shaking his head in disbelief. The medic motioned to his assistant, and the nervous man came over, notebook in hand. "I want the top four doctors in this city in here within half an hour. See the Hokage if you must. Tell him it concerns Uzumaki's child. He will understand. Remember, half an hour. Our time is running out."

The man nodded and bowed on his way out. He scurried away, leaving the doctor alone with Sakura. The thin man turned, frowning at his young patient. Chakra tingled at his fingertips, and he spread his hands wide over her flat stomach. He felt, through twisting tendrils of chakra, the faint heartbeat of Sakura's unborn child. He could also feel the wrongness. The injury was so severe that Sakura's womb felt unnatural, trampled. The doctor, whose name was Ayumi, was thinking frantically on how to save this child. The child of Uzumaki Naruto was more important than most people let on.

This child would solve the mystery. Would Kyuubi pass itself on to Naruto's children, or would the demon die with Naruto? No one knew, and much hope was riding on this child.

* * *

"_What's that, Mommy?"_

"_It's a bird."_

"_What bird?"_

"_Well, that one's a blackbird."_

"_Can I have one?"_

"_No."_

"_Not even if I ask Dad?"_

"_Definitely no."_

* * *

There was blood. 10 pints to a person, that's what they taught you in school. But it seems like more. Ten pints of blood, covering hands, feet, mouth, face, eyes, it's a lot more. When it's hot, sticky, and filled with the life of your best friend, it's a whole lot more than ten pints.

Naruto stared at his hands, red with guilt, and at the kunai clenched in his fist. The dark metal was slick and the scent of copper filled the air. Naruto could feel Sasuke's hair sticking to his hand, where it had been ripped out in his haste to distance himself from the body.

His eyes refused to look.

They refused to see the slumped heap in the grass, just a few feet away, redness seeping into the soil. They refused to look at the open eyes of Uchiha Sasuke, now empty and lifeless. Naruto's eyes refused to look at Itachi, who had made his presence known, and stood with Daisuke. His eyes refused to look at his son, who watched his crimson soaked father with wide eyes, terrified of what he had seen. A fine mist of blood had showered the pair, and Daisuke was slowly wiping it from his face with a horrified expression.

Itachi made no move towards Naruto, or Sasuke. He did not attack. He did not run. Naruto looked up at him. He thought he saw a glimmer of respect in the other man's eyes, and hated himself. He had done something that Itachi, clan killer, thought was deserving of respect. It was a sickening idea.

Slowly, agonizingly slow, Naruto let his fingers relax, and felt the kunai slip from his hand and embed itself in the soil near his feet. He let his breathing slow, his aching ribs protesting every movement. His blue eyes, swimming with tears and shame, flicked up at his son. At the eye contact, Daisuke's face crumpled and he started to cry. He reached for his father, and Naruto didn't hesitate to move forward. What surprised him was as he neared the older Uchiha, the man made no move to keep Daisuke away. Naruto reached out from his son, and Itachi handed him over. Naruto felt relief wash over him like a tidal wave.

He looked at Itachi, who said nothing. "What are you going to do now?" Naruto finally asked. Itachi gave a small shrug.

"This was never my mission." He said, his smooth voice calm and serene. "This was all for Sasuke." He seemed unconcerned that his brother lay dead, only metres away. Naruto could feel red hot anger pulse through him at that. His face was contorting with grief, and guilt at his actions.

"Don't you care?" He demanded loudly. "I just…_I just killed him_! Don't you care?" Daisuke was burrowed into his shoulder, small sobs shaking his body. Naruto held him tightly, his whole body taut.

Itachi sighed, suddenly looking very human. Gone was his indifferent demeanor, his shoulder were slumped. "I am glad…" he said finally. He looked to the side quickly, his crimson eyes settling on his brother. "Sasuke was…sick. I don't know. It's my fault. The death of our family drove him mad, eventually. His hatred for me kept him stable, for many years. When he couldn't defeat me, he just…broke."

Naruto didn't know what to say. Sasuke had been insane, this whole time?

"No rational man would attack the woman he loves, or put his child in harms way. This mission, this was Sasuke's last straw. I am glad that he is gone. Nothing can ever touch him, where he is now."

"Will you be coming after us?" Naruto asked wearily. He did not want to deal with another Uchiha. Itachi shook his head.

"No. And tell your wife that it was me. I sent the fan. I sent the assassins."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, but before he could ask more, Itachi was gone.

* * *

Kakashi stood lazily, his one eye roaming the landscape. He had no intention of going after Naruto or Sasuke. The man who survived would come back on his own. Kakashi was hoping that Naruto was the one who lived, but by the way Sakura was acting, he was not so sure.

He sat, half crouching on the rooftop of an apartment building. The busy marketplace lay spread out before him, and his hungry eyes searched the crowd. Finally, he caught sight of his target. Her long hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and the bruise that decorated her jaw was livid, even from where Kakashi was. He grimaced. The husband needed to pay.

He watched Aniline walk the streets with Sarah, unaware of his eyes. Her skin shone with summer sweat, and her hand grasped her daughter's tightly. She was looking at trinkets, bracelets and other jewelry, when Kakashi nimbly climbed down the building, and landed beside her.

She did not see him; her eyes were focused on a ribboned necklace. Kakashi bent close to whisper in her ear. "It would look good on you."

Aniline turned slightly, jumping at the sound of his voice. At the sight of his silver hair, she relaxed. "You're back!" she said happily. She didn't turn around to hug him, instead showed Sarah the necklace.

Kakashi slid his tired arms around her stomach, resting his chin on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen, then relax. "I was hoping you'd come back in one piece." She told him.

"And I did, so, do I get a prize?"

"Not until you tell me what happened."

Kakashi sighed. This was what he was dreading. Telling Aniline about Sakura's newest problem would just add weight to her already exhausted shoulders. But not telling her would make things worse in the end. He let out another breath. "I have both good and bad news." He told her. She stilled in his arms, tensing slightly. The girl at her side looked up at her mother worriedly when her hand tightened around hers.

"Tell me." Aniline said softly.

"Sakura is safe. I brought her home. That's the good news." He paused, not knowing which to say first. "Naruto made me leave him behind. Kyuubi was controlling him. He and Sasuke are fighting. Sasuke hurt Sakura, beat her up real bad. She's gonna lose the baby."

Aniline stood straight, her back stiff. "Baby?" she said sharply. "You mean Daisuke?" She knew this was not what he meant, but all other possibilities seemed impossible.

Kakashi shook his head, pulling away from Aniline. She turned to face him, her hands resting on Sarah's shoulders. "Sakura is pregnant." Kakashi confirmed. "A few weeks, the doctor said. He also said the baby's real damaged. He might not be able to save it. I told him to get the Hokage, but…"

Aniline let out a long, shuddering breath. "Oh, that poor, poor girl. And Naruto…he's not back yet?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm hoping that the Hokage will have the sense to get Tsunade down here. She knows Sakura personally, and has invested great interest in Naruto. Plus, she's our best medic."

Aniline nodded slowly, frowning. "I have to get there." She said firmly. "How's Sakura taking this?"

"She's sedated. She had a bit of an…episode. Out of the blue, she started thrashing, screaming. It would've hurt the baby more, so they knocked her out."

Aniline's brows furrowed. "Out of the blue? No, Kakashi, I think her timing's bang on! She's losing her baby! Her husband may be dead!"

Kakashi frowned. Why was he being yelled at? "They're not married yet…" he said sullenly.

"You know what I mean!" Aniline snapped. "She's in distress, and you just _drug_ her? Take her out of the picture so she can't cause trouble?"

Kakashi was losing his patience. "She'll thank us for this later! That kid is threads away from dying! Anything could send it to its death. She would be horrified if she thought that she may have been the cause."

The air seemed to rush out of Aniline suddenly, and she sagged. "I'm sorry. I just…" she trailed off, looking down at Sarah.

The girl was looking back, her dark lips quavering. "Is Sakura gonna die?" she asked, her voice small. For the first time, Kakashi noticed that her eyes matched her mother's perfectly, and he found that that pleased him.

Aniline shook her head. "No baby, Sakura's tough. She'll be fine."

_She'll be fine. _

* * *

_They say you know._

_But I didn't know. Not really._

_I had no idea that there was a living thing inside me. A baby, a product of the love Naruto and I had worked so hard to make. It seemed too soon to be happening. And to know that you could have something beautiful, but then to realize it's just gonna get snatched away, like everything else, it's horrifying._

_I mean, I didn't know _know_. I just guessed. As a woman, I know my body pretty well. When things start changing, you get to wondering. To taking pregnancy tests when your boyfriend's gone to work._

_Not that I thought he'd be mad. I just didn't want him to know, not until I was sure._

_Naruto was the type of guy that any pregnancy scare would send him running for the nearest library, just to take out every baby book in the place, and then buy a jumble of onesies, so we'd be prepared._

_I couldn't give him hope like that, and then snatch it away. It was too cruel._

This is too cruel.

_This life. This pulsing, fighting, dying life inside of me. My son, my daughter. A ninja, a writer, a carpenter. This person, who was trying so hard, just to live, it was too cruel, to take that away from me._

_Sasuke had taken_everything_ away from me._

_My son, Naruto, my dignity, my sanity. All in danger, because of Sasuke._

_He was not allowed to take this one last thing from me._

* * *

_Shorter than the others, but I've been real busy. I'll make the next one longer, I promise! I didn't edit this one as well as I should have, I really wanted to post it, so tell me if there are any embarrassing mistakes._

_Thanks for 150 reviews! I nearly wet my pants when I saw the total! You guys kick ass! _


	22. Change The Tides

"Jiraiya, you ignorant fool, what the hell have you done?"

The blonde woman looked very intimidating, hands on her shapely hips, her eyes blazing. She stared at the man before her, dressed in the traditional Hokage's robes, an exasperated expression on her face. Jiraiya tried not to break her gaze else she'd probably lose her temper.

"Tsunade …" he complained. "Please, just wait! Let me explain!"

The blonde woman shook her head furiously. Her right hand balled into a fist, and Jiraiya could see the chakra being channeled there.

"What's to explain?" the former Hokage demanded. "I'm gone for one week,_ one week_, and already, things are out of control! What have you done?"

Jiraiya ducked to avoid the arm that swung towards him, moving across his office to stay away from the temperamental woman. "Look!" he cried. "Kick my ass later! Right now, you have to help the Haruno girl." Tsunade shook her fist at him one last threatening time, before backing off. She sighed.

"What's going on? Your spastic little messenger didn't tell me anything,_ Hokage-sama_." Her voice was mocking, but Jiraiya could hear the concern lacing through it. He motioned for her to grab her medic kit, and walk with him. He led them from the office that had once been hers, and out onto the street.

"While you've been away, things have happened." He started, avoiding her glare. "Uchiha Sasuke came into the village, and grievously wounded Haruno Sakura and took her son."

Tsunade let out a gasp. "Is she alright?" she demanded. "How bad is it?"

Jiraiya waved her questions away. "That was the least of their worries. She woke up a few days ago, and went after Naruto, who had followed Sasuke." He paused, looking around for the first time. He muttered something to himself before changing directions and charging down a different street. "They both came back, with the boy, who I am now told is_ not_ Naruto's son, but Sasuke's, which is the reason for all the commotion. Kakashi's been very tight-lipped about the whole thing, but that's not surprising."

Tsunade grumbled something to herself. "So, if they'll all back, why am I here?"

"They're not all back. Sasuke attacked again, this time with the assistance of his brother." Tsunade tried not to gasp again. This whole thing was a bit too shocking to believe. "To make a long story short, Sasuke took Sakura and the boy, again, and Naruto followed, and that's where Naruto is now. Fighting to the death for Daisuke. Sakura is back here, brought by Kakashi, and _she_ is the reason you have been called."

Jiraiya stopped, turning to look at his childhood friend. "Tsunade," he said softly. She could see a harsh sadness in him, and wondered what had happened to Sakura that had affected him so. "You're the only medic in all of Fire with the power to heal Sakura, after what Sasuke did."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"He tortured her some. The doctors took care of it. But…she's pregnant. And the baby…they can't save it on their own."

Tsunade said nothing for near a minute. Jiraiya was starting to get nervous. Finally her voice broke the silence. It was icy, and hard. "Are you telling me that Sasuke beat her up enough to put the life of his unborn child in danger?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "No! That's not it at all! The child is Naruto's!"

Tsunade blinked, finally understanding. Her grip on her medic's bag tightened, and she swiveled. "Take me to her!" she commanded, letting Jiraiya lead her through the twisting streets to where Sakura and Naruto lived.

Finally, they came upon the tiny one-storey house and, without knocking, Tsunade burst into the kitchen. She was greeted by a drawn looking woman being held in Kakashi's arms, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her sobs were uncontrolled, and they brought a harsh rhythm to the house. Kakashi barely glanced up when Jiraiya and Tsunade entered, only flicked his eyes in the direction of the bedroom.

Tsunade strode in, finding Sakura's unconscious form on the bed. A small girl sat next to her, dark brown hair covering her face as she held Sakura's hand. She looked up when the medic entered, her bright eyes hopeful. "Are you going to fix Sakura?" she asked, her voice small, but clear and expectant. Tsunade managed a small smile, her trained eyes flicking over her one-time student's body.

"I'm gonna try."

* * *

"_I want to be a medic!"_

_The small, pink haired girl stood unabashedly in her office, and Tsunade had yet to find a good reason to throw her out. "Alright," the Hokage said passively. "Enroll at the hospital. It's just down the road."_

_She expected the girl to leave, instead, the pink haired ninja stepped closer to the desk. "But you're the best." She said firmly. "I want to learn from you."_

_Oh. This was bothersome. "Look, kid-"_

"_Sakura!"_

"_Sakura, I don't have time for an assistant right now. Look, I'll get Shizune to set you up for an interview at the hospital, and I'm sure you find something there-"_

"_Hokage-sama, I mean no disrespect, but _you_ must train me!" The girl held a fierceness in her eyes that Tsunade remembered, and missed. "I need to become the best medic I can, so I can be useful for my team! They need me!"_

_Tsunade fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm sure your team is fine." She said patiently._

"_No, you don't understand!" Sakura protested. "Naruto can't do it alone! We need to bring Sasuke back together! And since I'll never get good enough in near enough time…I need you to train me!"_

_Tsunade stopped the report she had been absently filling out. So this girl was from _that_ team? Well, maybe she was worth a try. Her sharp eyes darted over the petite figure before commanding roughly, "Do something."_

_Confused by the vague order, Sakura tried to think of something. Tsunade tapped her heeled shoe impatiently. Sakura blushed and did a complex hand seal, making to four corners of the desk flare up in a moment of fire before burning out, leaving no trace behind. Tsunade whistled appreciatively._

"_The Uchiha teach you that?" she asked, leaning back in her chair. Sakura nodded, almost shyly._

"_He taught me a lot of his fire tricks, Hokage-sama."_

_Tsunade raised one perfect blonde eyebrow. "And why would he do that?" she asked casually, picking at her nail with the blade she had drawn from the long sleeved shirt she was wearing._

"_He was my best friend."_

* * *

Her chakra gently probed the rough skin of Sakura's belly, pushing through the abused cells with her power. She traveled downward, until she felt it. The ultimate wrongness of Sakura's womb. She could feel the baby's heart beat against her chakra, a pulsing testament to the will to survive. She could feel the broken pieces, the cells growing wrong, the cells that had stopped growing. Tsunade fount the overwhelming urge to cry. It was _so unfair_. There was nearly nothing that she could do. Left on its own, the baby would miscarriage within a week. To heal it would mean great effort on both her and Sakura's part, and the baby might die anyway. 

Almost nothing could save the child.

Almost nothing.

Sending her chakra deeper, Tsunade found her saving grace. It could work. It _had _to work. It was the only thing she could do…but were the consequences too great? Tsunade shook the thoughts from her mind, before sending her chakra directly into Sakura's womb, making the girl's body jolt in surprise. The sleeping ninja did not wake, and Tsunade sent more chakra through the baby, altering the damage, correcting to wrongs. She sat beside Sakura, hands on her stomach for quite some time, and Sarah soon became bored.

She left the room quietly, and the entranced woman did not even notice her leave. Sarah entered the kitchen to find her mother still crying, but in a much more subdued state. She sat at the table with Kakashi now, facing a man with big white hair. She tugged on the old man's robes. He looked down at her, eyes wide in surprise.

"Is that lady going to make Sakura better?" she asked. No one had been able to give her an actually answer, and she was going to keep asking until somebody did.

The old man smiled. "She's gonna try." He told her. Sarah looked at her mother, whose tears had long stopped, but the dry sobs continued. She decided her mother was best left with Kakashi, and sat sown to play with the doll she had brought. Quietly, she listened to the grown-ups talked. They soon forgot her presence and talked louder.

"…_so unfair…_" her mother said harshly. "Sakura's got so much happened to her already…losing a baby…that'll just break her."

"You underestimate her." Kakashi's smooth voice reassured. "She's strong. She may pull through this. And if the baby…doesn't…then she will heal. Everybody does."

Sarah heard her mother mutter something, before sniffing loudly. The white haired man spoke now, his voice very loud for the small space. "Kakashi, Aniline," he said, before pausing. "If anyone can save Sakura's baby, it's Tsunade. You need to have faith in her."

"I know that." Kakashi said wearily. Sarah watched as all three adults turned their eyes to the room where Tsunade sat, hunched over Sakura, light pouring from her hands.

* * *

He walked, with no direction, only knowing vaguely that he was headed for the village. Daisuke had long since gotten bored in his arms, and walked in front of him, often checking back to see if his father was following. Naruto was in a daze, his eyes unfocused. He stuck to the forest's main paths, making it easy for his young son to scramble ahead of him. He kept pace easily, mind not straying from his recent deeds. 

"_Avenge my clan…"_

But he let Itachi walk away, into the forest. He had let Itachi walk away without a second thought. He knew he had done the wrong thing. The important thing was Dai. He had to get back to Sakura. He needed his family to be safe. That had been the whole point.

But…

_Avenge my clan…_

And he had let the man walk away.

Daisuke let out a cry as he stumbled and fell, hitting his knee against a rock. Naruto's eyes snapped back into focus. "Ow." He moved to stand again, and Naruto bent down and scooped him up from behind. He inspected the tiny scrape. "I'm okay." Daisuke said.

Naruto nodded. "We'll be home soon," he told the boy quietly.

"Okay."

He set off at a brisk pace, a renewed sense of purpose in him. Daisuke was sitting on his shoulder, enjoying his new height. His hands reached for the branches above him and his clear laugh filled Naruto's mind.

* * *

Tsunade felt a large hand shaking her and she sat straight up. Jiraiya leapt away as a kunai flew in his direction. Tsunade's groggy eyes turned his way, before she apologized. He smiled meekly. "Is she…will she…" Jiraiya started, gesturing at Sakura. Tsunade frowned, looking down at the woman she had fallen asleep on. 

She stood, flattening the wrinkles of her shirt as she did. She motioned for Jiraiya to follow her into the kitchen where Aniline and Kakashi still waited. "I've done all I can." She said softly. "There was a large amount of damage. I expended a great amount of chakra."

The dark woman at Kakashi's side was impatient, and weary of her stalling. "But, can you tell us anything? Will the baby live? Will Sakura live?' she demanded, making Tsunade bristle in indignation.

"Aniline," Kakashi said softly, his arm snaking around her waist. The woman sighed.

"I apologize," she said, forcing a small smile. "I am very grateful for what you have done for Sakura."

Jiraiya touched Tsunade's shoulder lightly. "What can you tell us?" he asked.

"As I said, there was a lot of damage, but I managed to save the baby." Aniline nearly wailed in relief, sagging into Kakashi. "The child will live, barring other complications, but…the damage was just too severe. This one will be her last."

Aniline's smile was wiped from her face. Even Kakashi had gone unusually stiff. Jiraiya looked worriedly at his friend. "How?" he asked.

Tsunade frowned, looking down at her hands. "My chakra wasn't enough." She explained. "I needed part of Sakura to make this work. But…there still wasn't enough. I ended up needing more of her than I could safely take, but by then, it was too late. I couldn't turn back. It would have killed her."

Aniline's let despair wash over her. "No more children?" she asked, her voice heavy. Tsunade nodded her affirmation sadly.

"I'm sorry."

Aniline said nothing, instead turned and sobbed into Kakashi's shoulder. The Copy Ninja just stared at Tsunade.

"Is there any way…to fix this?" he asked softly. Tsunade shook her head.

"No. I'm sorry. Sakura's body won't be able to handle another. She'll be the last."

Aniline looked up from her muffled sobbing. "She?"

Tsunade gave a ghost of a smile. "Yes. They're getting a daughter."

Aniline smiled slightly. She looked up at Kakashi. "Do you think Naruto will be pleased?" she asked, trying not to cry. Kakashi smiled down at her.

"I don't think he'll ever come down from the high." He said. Aniline laughed. Suddenly, she felt a tug at the hem of her sleeve. Sarah looked up at her, her bright eyes demanding.

"Is Sakura better now?" she asked. Her mother smiled, before squatting down to hug the girl.

"Yes. Sakura's fine."

* * *

_I could feel the moment when the tides changed. I felt when the life inside me not longer felt the need to fight. The chakra that had invaded me felt familiar. It had to be Tsunade, the woman who would have been my teacher, had I not gotten too visibly pregnant so soon. _

_I felt safe knowing she was the one trying to save my baby. I felt my own chakra being funneled away, but I put up no fight. I gave her more than she needed, more than I should have given. When it was done, and the baby lived, and the heart beat, it would be worth it._

_The exhaustion that came from overextending chakra was worth the life of my child._


	23. Interlude: Keep Me Warm

_Naruto was bone weary._ He didn't want to move. He didn't want to think. He didn't want to hear Kakashi's words. He didn't want to see Aniline's sympathetic face or Daisuke in her arms. He didn't want any of it. All he wanted was to lie next to Sakura and sleep. All he wanted was oblivion.

"Naruto!" Kakashi's voice was harsh. Naruto could not remember a time where the composed man had been so emotional. "You're not listening!"

Naruto snarled in response. His kitchen was too bright. The world was too bright. On a day like this, the world should be dark. "I'm listening! You're telling me that Sakura's fine. That the baby's fine. I hear you!"

Aniline stepped up to the sagging man, who leant against the wall, his blonde hair messy with blood and grit. She touched his arm softly. "Naruto." She whispered, trying not to wake the boy in her arms. "Please. Just…listen."

After a long moment, Naruto hung his head, nodding slightly. He sighed heavily before he looked at the woman standing in Sakura's doorway. "Grandma Tsunade." He said, trying to smile. She did not return the smile, her eyes were puffy and she looked upset. "I'm listening."

The blonde woman nodded. "As you know…I'm the best medic this village has to offer. And Naruto, please, believe me: I did everything, _everything_ that I could." Her eyes were pleading, they locked with his. His breath was knocked from his body.

"What…are you trying to say?" he got out. His concern and worry was getting the best of him. His fingers tightened on the hem of his shirt.

"Your baby, your daughter, she's fine. She's perfect. Sakura...she'll live." Tsunade sounded as if she wished that she was elsewhere, not having to tell her favourite ninja this bad news. "But Naruto, there's nothing left. Sakura won't be able to have anymore kids. There was just _too much_ damage. There was internal bleeding, placenta tearing, and a fallopian tube had disconnected." Naruto's eyes widened. He may not have known exactly what all that meant, but he had taken Health class at the academy. He knew it was bad. "I fixed it, mostly. But it'll never work the same. Her…womb, for lack of better term, will be unable to house another child after this. She'll only be able to have this one with help. After this birth, it's unlikely that she'll even produce eggs for fertilization."

Naruto shook his head slightly. "But…she's okay?" he asked, hesitant. "Sakura, she's okay?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, Naruto. Sakura's okay."

The blonde sighed in relief. He pushed himself away from the wall and went to move past Tsunade. She looked at him strangely. "Did you not hear? She'll never have another baby!"

Naruto nodded slowly. "Have you told her?"

Tsunade shook her head. "She's still asleep. The healing wore her out."

"I'll tell her." Naruto said firmly. "Look, Tsunade, thank you. Thank you so much for what you've done for Sakura. And our baby. But…I'm okay that she can't have any more. She'll be more upset than I am. I'm just happy that she's safe." His arms pulled Tsunade in a tight hug, and she found herself slightly pleased that Naruto wasn't too much taller than her. His buried his face into her shoulder. "Thank you. _Thank you_."

He pulled away after a moment and moved past her, into his bedroom. He didn't hear Tsunade shut the door behind him. Sakura was the only thing that filled his mind.

She looked perfect.

Her battered face had been healed, and she snored softly, burrowed into her pillow. Someone had dressed her in one of his tee shirts, and Naruto knew that he had never loved her more than in that moment. He moved softly, pulling off his shoes. After pulling on a pair of sweatpants and chucking his shirt away, he crawled across his bed. Slipping under the covers, he pulled Sakura close. With the loss of her pillow, she burrowed into Naruto instead. He could feel her nose on his chest and he kissed the top of her head.

He was so tired. So, so tired.

He closed his eyes.

* * *

When Sakura awoke, the first thing she heard were the muffled sobs coming from the shaking person wrapped around her. She turned gingerly, her body sore. "Naruto?" she whispered, taking in the sight of the blonde boy crying harshly. He looked up briefly, his blue eyes shining and red. 

"Sakura." He got out, before he buried his face in her shoulder again. "I'm sorry."

Sakura was completely blown away. What had happened to Naruto to make his so upset? She barely ever saw him cry. It was worrying, and she hated when he felt hurt.

"It's over." He finally whispered, his voice hoarse. "I killed him."

Sakura's eyes widened. She had suspected that Sasuke was dead, but there was a difference between knowing, and believing. She ran her fingers through Naruto's dirty hair. "I know." She replied. "It's okay. We'll be okay."

Naruto mumbled something into her hair, but she didn't catch it. His snuffling had not stopped and Sakura tried to soothe him. "I'm sorry." He said again. "They told me, outside, what Sasuke did to you. To…our baby." He squeezed her slightly. "They didn't tell you what they told me, Sakura. I can't…I'm so sorry!"

"What is it?" Sakura asked, slightly worried. The medic in her had done enough investigating to know that her baby was alive and healthy, but besides that, she had no idea what was going on inside of her.

"This baby will be our last. Tsunade…she said everything was too broken for you to have anymore kids."

All the breath left Sakura's body. She felt her fingers loosen from Naruto's hair. Sasuke had won. He had made sire that nobody would ever have Sakura, even once he was dead. A tear escaped her eye and she choked back a sob. Naruto was so good, so kind and sweet. He deserved someone who could give him a real family, full of kids, like he had wanted. "I'm sorry Naruto," she whispered. "I know you wanted them."

Naruto nearly shook his head in frustration. "Don't be a dolt." He said gently. "I'm just glad you're safe. And we have Daisuke. And soon, we'll have a baby girl. What more could I want? You're all that I need."

Sakura smiled to herself, still trying not to cry. Naruto loved her. How had she forgotten that?

* * *

Gah. I hate the world. The world hates me back. While, at least, Rogers does. No internet for little old me for like, ever. So this is all I got. For now, at least. One more chapter after this, plus an epilogue. Approximately. You know how I am. Let me know about any typos! (Cause I suck, and I drink too much coffee. Makes me type like a freak.) 


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